Golden Dawn: Lost Sunrise
by Lightflame The Warrior
Summary: "I wonder if the wind has regrets. Can it pierce my heart even now, and find the echoes of who I once was?" Three young cats born in a time of peace must face the dark secrets lurking beneath a façade of prosperity. A war looms on the horizon, and only by fighting tooth and claw can they protect the cats they cherish. "I can't forgive myself, but I will stand strong."
1. Prologue

**Hi there! If you're here reading this, then I assume that you've either had your interest caught by my fanfic, or you simply heard about it from me on another site and come to check it out. Anyway, seeing as I couldn't fit it all into the blurb, I'll give you a little run down of what to expect. This fanfic takes place many years after the events of "The Last Hope", so all the cats you know and love have unfortunately died out (except maybe Purdy) and been replaced by my OCs. However, we'll still see a few cameos from the old cats, and maybe hear a few legends about them from the elders.**

**This fanfic is my dream project: a collection of all my cool ideas from abandoned fanfics. It draws most heavily from "Chasing the Stars", whose prologue is available to read here on my account. Anyway, please enjoy the fruits of my labours.**

_"Come here little ones. Are you listening? My mother used to tell me this long ago, when I was just a kit like you are now. The end is lost to time, but I hope you can remember to always stand strong. 'Heroes can't be chosen. The stars may watch us as we journey, but in the end we make our own choices. Destiny can't be forced upon anyone. It will break them. In this world of hearts stained black with the horrors of war, all we can do is charge boldly towards the dawn. Our hopes will carry us, as we dream of the lost sunrise we all seek.' You kits have such bright eyes. Maybe that's what we need. Young cats, not yet broken by reality's cruel truths. Maybe there can be such a thing as good in this world. If only."_

_Golden Dawn_: _Lost Sunrise_

**Prologue**

A cold wind blew through the night, hinting to all those still awake to catch it in their mouths at a long harsh leaf-bare to come. Most cats were curled up in their nests, safe from the chill until the light of a new morning forced them to rise and work to sustain their Clans. Amidst the calm that consumed the world, the Watcher stood waiting in the cool grass, surrounded by trees whose leaves had fallen as the weather grew colder. From the corner of his eye, the Watcher caught a flicker of movement, but it was only a mouse, seeking a few nuts when the cats hunting it so diligently in the day slept peacefully. The Watcher dismissed the creature, caring little about whether it found it's way into the paws of his Clanmates.

They had been planning this for a long time. He had often heard whispers about a strange cat named Arise, one who could see into the future and offered glory to those who sought him out. At first, the Watcher had been skeptical, believing it to be the nonsense that filled the heads of all Clan cats. But eventually, the tales of Arise had captured his interest. He had sought out the elusive tom, confident that he would be of use in the Watcher's great plan. Eventually, despite his duties to his Clan, the Watcher had found this mystical cat and convinced him to join his cause. Arise had been of great help. It had been less than a moon before, not long after the first snow, when the Watcher had been granted great power. The first step in his plan, something that would be a crime of the highest severity to even think about, had been realized thanks to the gifts given to him by Arise.

The Watcher grimaced as he recalled the ever-present pain in his chest, but if it were to be the only price he paid for his dream, then he would gladly suffer it. He sneered at the stars, and then turned to gaze at the full moon. Arise had told him it would be tonight. His plan would continue moving forward, unaffected by the foolish Clan cats who didn't even realize that their lives had been changed forever.

Sneaking away after the Gathering had been easy. He was just one cat, and no one questioned him when he headed out for a walk. He turned his gaze back to the grass ahead of him, and the cold scent that drifted through the night air. Arise had assured him that this was the night, but he still felt unnerved, as if some unseen force was watching him, silently noting his progress. He took a glance back at the stars, then allowed himself the feeling of smugness. The stars couldn't hold him back. Those fools had no power over him.

Suddenly, he heard a cat approaching. The Watcher fur fluffed up as the intruder drew near, but sniffing it he realized that it was an ally who approached, not someone who would question his motives. The she-cat drew near, with a small bundle in her mouth. It took the Watcher a moment to realize that what she held was a single kit, and he cursed himself for not recognizing the familiar sight sooner. Then, the Watcher thought back to Arise's message, remembering the exact words of the tom's foretelling.

"I was told there would be two of them," the Watcher hissed to his Deliverer. His thoughts were a mix of fear and curiosity. _Could Arise's foretelling be wrong this time? Every one beforehand has been perfect, down to the last detail. Has something finally gone wrong?_

The Deliverer set the kit before the Watcher and bowed her head, as if unhappy with her failure. "Yes, there were two kits," she answered, "but their mother was quite insistent on recovering them from me. I managed to escape, but I was forced to throw one of them into the river to prevent her from catching me."

The smugness from before returned to the Watcher. He should never have doubted Arise's foretelling. "Do not worry," he told the Deliverer. "As long as you brought this one kit, then not all is lost. Does the mother know that is a Clan cat who so cruelly ripped her newborn kits away from her?"

The Deliverer nodded. "I told her everything that you told me."

The Watcher's joy was building as the Deliverer explained how the mission had gone. "You have not failed me," he told her. "Even if you lost one of the kits, your method of disposal could lead my plan to even greater heights." Even though he felt that his excitement could consume him, the Watcher remained calm and in control. "I will continue to rely on you." He flicked his tail, signalling to the Deliverer that she was dismissed.

"Thank you," the she-cat said as she departed, leaving the small bundle of fur lying at his feat. The Watcher bent down towards the weak creature who was unknowingly leading the Clans to their destiny. The kit coughed weakly, and the Watcher gripped it gently in his jaws, careful not to break any of the small thing's fragile bones.

"And it all goes according to plan," whispered a voice filled with venom. The Watcher dropped the kit in surprise, and it let out a mewl of pain. How Arise emerged out of nowhere, always seeming so icily composed, still unnerved the Watcher. He wondered what other dark powers could be lurking under Arise's tortoiseshell fur. Arise's pale yellow eyes lazily surveyed the kit, and a rare emotion flickered across them. Whether it was contempt or boredom, the Watcher could not tell. "So you still haven't killed it yet?" asked Arise. "My, you seem almost sentimental."

The Watcher took a step towards the weak kit. "This is more than a kit," he said to Arise. "It's a symbol of my defiance. It shows that even the stars have no power over me. Do not misunderstand me Arise. My goal is, as it always was, to stain this land crimson with the blood of the Clan cats."

Arise shrugged. "Do what you wish," he told the Watcher. "It's not as if it concerns me. I'm just glad your hatred is still so strong. You'd be useless to me otherwise."

The Watcher sighed. Arise was powerful, yet he worried the tom would turn on him after the plan was complete. Normally, the Watcher would have made plans to dispose of Arise as soon as he had served his purpose, but after the long time he had spent with the enigmatic tom, the Watcher knew full well that there would be no way to kill Arise.

Arise cast a knowing look at the Watcher, who shivered. Had Arise seen into his thoughts? However, Arise merely sighed. "All this posturing, yet you _still haven't killed the kit!_" he hissed, still cold and emotionless despite his obvious emphasis.

"Alright, I'll finish it," the Watcher agreed. _It's not as if it's a hard job. Also, it gives me the opportunity to get away from Arise, at least until his next foretelling._ He bent down and picked up the kit, clenching it again between his teeth. Her scent instantly filled his nose, a mix of blood and a mother's milk. The pathetic bundle squealed as it was lifted in the air, but it was only a kit, while the Watcher was a full-grown cat. The Watcher padded away from Arise, carrying the struggling kit to its death.

…

Even after his ally had gone, Arise still lingered in the clearing. The cold snow beneath his feet bothered him little, and the faraway howls hinting at strange beasts preying on those foolish enough to wander the night were too far away to reach him. The wind whistled in Arise's ears, and he turned, gazing at something that wasn't there.

Arise let a hint of a smile show itself on his face. "If you're watching this," he murmured to the wind, "then surely this shall be interesting. Nothing yet has been able to top the Echo Wars, but I'm sure that with his mad scheme, these Clan cats will be at the mercy of their stars. I await our next meeting."

If any cat had been watching the clearing, they would have sworn to have seen a cat vanishing into nothingness. But there were no watchful eyes looking down into the clearing, and Arise had not vanished. He was simply waiting.

Soon, he would be ready.

**Yes, I know that I didn't use descriptive words for the Watcher, but you didn't think I'd reveal who he was before you even met him in the story, did you? Thank you for reading the prologue of my story (or at least skipping to the end)! It means a lot to me. If you have the time, please leave a review so that I can know what to improve on. I'd also like to know which characters and couples you like and dislike, but since the prologue only has four characters, and one of them can't even speak, there isn't a lot of room for liking either of those things.**

**Anyway, I'm not sure if I'm going to do allegiances. I originally was, but then I read an excellent fanfic called "Shattered", and decided to get my fanfic out as soon as possible. Then again, I might come back later and add them to the end of this prologue.**

**Thank you for your time! I'm still happy you chose to read my fanfic, and apologize for this long, rambly author's note. Hopefully I'll see you in the next update, when we meet the first of our three heroes. Thanks for reading!**


	2. Chapter 1 Leafkit

**Thanks for all the reviews and views I received! I'm happy that my prologue was well received, and I'm grateful that several people read it. It makes me happy to know that people are enjoying the stories I work hard on. Sorry for the long wait for an update. I was on vacation until July 8th, and the rest of the wait was my laziness mixed with the amount of time it took to write this long chapter. I introduce quite a few characters, so I hope you get to know some of them **

**Chapter 1**

Leafkit rolled out of the way of her opponent's quick paws, panting after yet another near miss. Tired from dodging so many attacks, Leafkit stopped for a moment to catch her breath and recover her guard. Unexpectedly, her opponent lunged forward, a gleam in his eyes. Despite her growing exhaustion, Leafkit was able to see the blow coming. She slid backwards, aided by the ground that was still slick from the morning's rain. Leafkit rolled to the side, aiming to move far enough from her opponent to have some time to compose her thoughts.

Leafkit's opponent sneered at her and advanced lazily, yet with enough speed to catch Leafkit's sluggish movements. A bead of sweat rolled through Leafkit's fur, it's foul stench further reinforcing Leafkit's weakness. _He knows how tired I am,_ thought Leafkit. _He's faster than me, and he has much more stamina. I'm stronger than him, but he's too fast for me to catch him when I'm worn out like this. I have to find a way to get him off guard._

Caught up in her thoughts, Leafkit failed to notice how close her opponent had come until he was standing right in front of her. Dazed, Leafkit tried to dodge his next attack, but her opponent's speed was too great, and he bit down hard on her front leg. Her opponent held her right leg in a hard grip, and pain shot through Leafkit. Staring at her opponent, Leafkit saw a look of triumph flash through his eyes. _I won't let you beat me,_ thought Leafkit. _I'm going to be the greatest warrior the Clans have ever known._ Leafkit swatted at his muzzle with her left paw, and her surprised opponent released her leg for a moment. Making use of the little speed she did have, Leafkit slid out of his grip and got all four of her paws back on the ground. Angry at her dirty move, Leafkit's opponent lunged forward, aiming for Leafkit's side. Leafkit clumsily avoided him and rolled a few tail-lengths away.

Leafkit still felt the sharp pain in her leg. Even though her opponent had not broken skin, her leg still ached from his strong grip. _I can't keep this up for long,_ Leafkit realized. _If I stay on the defensive, my leg will give out and he'll win. If I go on the offensive, he'll take advantage of how tired I am and beat me senseless. I need to use my superior strength to end this now._ Suddenly a plan formed in Leafkit's mind, one born of the tales she had often heard in the elder's den. It was risky, but it offered more hope of success than any alternative. Leafkit slowed down to catch her breath, as if her fatigue had completely overtaken her.

"Is that all you have?" taunted her opponent as her rushed towards her. "You don't have any chance of becoming Clan leader if you can't even defeat me!"

Determination flowed through Leafkit, and she braced herself as her opponent rushed forward. Leafkit's change in demeanour caused her opponent to hesitate, but his belated attempt to stop only left him vulnerable. Leafkit slammed into him with her shoulder, and then tried to hit him with her paws. Leafkit fumbled her attack and missed her opponent by a whole tail-length. _I shouldn't have missed that,_ thought Leafkit. _This is my last shot. I have to end this now._ While Leafkit's opponent was still off balance, Leafkit gathered all her strength and readied her hind legs. Then she sprung forward and hit her opponent with her head, knocking him to the ground. Leafkit leaped on top of him, pinning him to the damp earth.

"I win again," declared Leafkit. "Seeing as I'm the best at fighting, I get to be Clan leader when we become warriors."

Below her, her brother Gustkit groaned at the pain as he pulled himself to his paws. Shaking himself to try to dislodge any dirt in his fur, Gustkit continued groaning. Seeing all the dirt that was still in his fur, Gustkit began to groom his ginger pelt. Gustkit's red fur had come from Leafkit's father, Galeflight, and it was very long and messy. No matter how often Gustkit and his mother Dovesong groomed Gustkit's fur, he always appeared to have walked right out of a fierce storm. Around Gustkit's chin his fur stretched down and nearly touched the ground, having the appearance of a small, bushy tail stuck to Gustkit's chin. Between Gustkit's ears, his fur clumped together into spikes, almost like a field of grass on his head. Gustkit's whiskers drooped, making him appear serious, despite his upbeat tempo.

"You're really strong, Leafkit," Gustkit told his sister. "But you're always too rough with me and it seems to take moons for the pain to go away."

"Don't be like that," Leafkit teased as she brushed her brother with the tip of her tail. "You're too soft. What will you do when you're an apprentice and you have to fight ThunderClan cats without me to protect you?"

The thought of ThunderClan made Gustkit freeze up. Every WindClan kit had heard the stories of ThunderClan, the fearless Clan to the north whose fierce spirit led them to fight with strength akin to the power of LionClan and TigerClan. Gustkit seemed contemplative, but then his eyes lit up again. "Maybe I can just become Snowcloud's apprentice," he suggested. "Then I can be medicine cat while you're leader, and I won't have to do any fighting."

"You working with herbs, Gustkit?" asked a newcomer. "I think I'd move to RiverClan if I had to rely on your judgement. I'm pretty sure there was one time were you said that deathberries were for rat bites." Her words were harsh, but her teasing tone and her gentle blue eyes suggested kindness beneath her taunts.

Gustkit swiped playfully at the she-cat, but she avoided his attack with the grace of Leafkit's mother. "Hawkkit, I thought we agreed to not mention that moment!" complained Gustkit.

"Oh, I'm not saying you can't be a medicine cat," teased Leafkit's sister. "I just don't want you to be _our_ medicine cat. Go be Nightheart's apprentice. Then you can kill all sorts of RiverClan cats without even fighting them."

_Wait, I'm pretty sure Snowcloud said that Nightheart had an apprentice,_ thought Leafkit. She decided it didn't matter. Hawkkit was only teasing after all; there was no way she wanted Gustkit to become a RiverClan cat.

Gustkit swiped at Hawkkit again, but she stepped to the side, avoiding Gustkit's paws. Hawkkit leaped at Gustkit, and Leafkit's two littermates grabbed each other, rolling on the ground as they playfully pawed at each other. Hawkkit's neat brown fur became uncharacteristically messy, but as soon as she rolled away from Gustkit's grip it seemed to fall back into place. Across Hawkkit's fur, a pawful of black stripes replaced the short brown hair, including a long stripe that ran up her tail. Hawkkit licked her fur, then propelled herself towards Gustkit once more.

"Stop!" Leafkit called out to her siblings. "As future Clan leader, I command you to cease your fighting."

Hawkkit was able to stop her movement in time, and she turned her head to face her sister. Gustkit wasn't so lucky. Unable to control his speed, Gustkit slid wildly across the damp ground and fell face-first into the earth. He let out a moan of pain as he pulled himself to his paws and wiped bits of earth from his face.

Hawkkit twitched her tail; she was obviously amused by Leafkit's words. "You can't be Clan leader," Hawkkit declared. "Out of the three of us, I'm the fastest. Speed is the most important thing for a WindClan cat. _I'll_ be Clan leader." Hawkkit met Leafkit's eyes as if daring her sister to challenge her. Leafkit sighed and stared back at her.

"I'm going to be the greatest WindClan warrior ever!" Leafkit exclaimed. "I'll lead my Clan to glory and kill all the bad cats!"

Hawkkit smirked at Leafkit. In response, Leafkit straightened her back and stood taller, trusting her determination to fill her with strength. Then a loud growl came from Leafkit's stomach, and she felt the hunger she had been avoiding. "After all this fighting, I'm starving," Leafkit complained. "Let's go see if the hunting patrol has come back." Hawkkit and Gustkit nodded in approval, and the kits padded over to the fresh-kill pile.

As if they had sensed Leafkit's hunger, the hunting patrol entered into the camp as soon as the kits arrived at the pile. The young tom Boulderpaw was dragging a fat rabbit along the ground, while his mentor Fieldstone held a squirrel between her jaws. As well, Oakfur had brought the Clan a vole, while Brambletail was carrying two sparrows in her mouth. The patrol dropped the prey in the fresh-kill pile, then flicked their eyes around the camp uneasily, as if expecting to be punished, despite their great catch.

The WindClan cats who had been hanging around the camp, whether they were having important discussions, boasting about recent victories, or simply enjoying the Newleaf breeze, all began to gravitate towards the fresh-kill pile. Thistlepelt, Dovesong's brother from a younger litter, was the first to reach the pile. "That looks great," he congratulated the hunting patrol. "You should all be proud of yourselves. My sister Rabbitfoot is still in Snowcloud's den having her injured leg treated, so I thought I'd take this sparrow and share it with her."

Thistlepelt tried to reach for the smaller of the birds, but Brambletail forced the larger sparrow into his paws. Embarrassed, she bowed her head, and Thistlepelt's fur flushed as he offered a hasty thanks. Brambletail eyed the squirrel, then turned her eyes to Fieldstone, looking to her senior from approval. Fieldstone nodded, and Brambletail took the squirrel from the pile.

Leafkit felt saliva dripping from her mouth as she scanned the fresh-kill pile for something to eat. She didn't want to take too much, but she needed to satisfy the hunger in her stomach. "You don't often see squirrels in the moor," Leafkit observed. "At least, that's what the results of the hunting patrols seem to imply." Leafkit couldn't actually remember ever venturing outside WindClan's camp, although she was told that Dovesong had unexpectedly kitted near ThunderClan's border.

Brambletail pondered her meal for a moment, then beamed at the three kits. "You've never had squirrel before, right?" she asked Leafkit and her littermates. "Why don't you three come and share my squirrel? There's enough for all of us." Her friendly green eyes gave an inviting look.

"Sure!" squealed Hawkkit, who seemed eager to taste the exotic prey. Hawkkit and Gustkit rushed over to the squirrel and tore off hunks of meat, which they quickly gobbled up.

Leafkit wasn't so hasty. "Thank you for the offer," she said to Brambletail. "It looks delicious." Leafkit padded down and took a pre-emptive sniff of the squirrel before she took a bite of the meat. The squirrel was tangy, unlike rabbit, which tasted almost sweet. However, it also had a rich flavour to it unlike that found in rabbits, and Leafkit savoured every bite.

"We could have caught even more if not for those rogues and the RiverClan prey-stealers," complained Oakfur as the cats enjoyed their meal. His fur stuck up in the air, showing his anger at the cats who dared to take his food.

_We're WindClan, greatest Clan of all!_ reflected Leafkit. _How did we lose prey to those mangy rogues and the fish-eating RiverClan?_ Leafkit scanned her Clanmates. They didn't seem to be suffering any ill effects from the actions of RiverClan and the rogues. Most of the cats of the Clan were somewhat plump, which seemed odd for cats with such wiry frames. Ashfall, one of the sole cats who was still skinny was quite old, and had only be able to avoid moving to the elder's den due to her loud and frequent insistence that she was as strong as any warrior. _We have lots of prey this Newleaf. There's probably enough of it to share with the other Clans. But still, what RiverClan is doing is wrong. They should be punished!_

"Why hasn't Ravenstar done anything about RiverClan stealing our prey?" asked Leafkit. "If I was Clan leader, I would fight RiverClan, and I would teach them not to set foot on our territory again!"

Fieldstone twitched her tail, amused at Leafkit's outburst. "I want to fight RiverClan as well," she remarked. "They should be punished for their arrogance. But despite what I ask, Ravenstar still wants to resolve the situation with words. He still hasn't learned that RiverClan warriors only speak with their claws."

"There's a lot more to being leader than just winning all the fights you know," commented a voice.

Leafkit sighed. Her father Galeflight dreamed of leading WindClan as well, and Leafkit often had to listen to him ramble on about WindClan's future. Leafkit's squirrel was finished, so she tried to excuse herself after nodding her thanks to Brambletail. Galeflight noticed Leafkit shuffling away, so he used his tail to impede her progress.

"You will stay here, my daughter," he said. "If you really want to become the greatest WindClan warrior ever like you've said, then you'll need to listen to what I have to say." Leafkit sighed and began looking around the camp, hoping to find something that would capture her interest as Galeflight repeated his long-winded speech. "Clan leaders must be wise enough to pick their battles," Galeflight rambled on. "Even if what the other Clans are doing is against the code, sometimes the Clan leader has to consider both sides of the story. In the end, the wisest choice is peace. No warriors will have to die because of pointless squabbles between the Clans. Instead, a solution can be found that benefits all the Clans. Although we are gifted with claws, we need to use words to understand each other. The elders may tell stories of villains like Tigerstar and Hawkfrost, but there is no such thing as pure evil. Everyone has a reason for what they do, and understanding what drives them is the key to moving forward."

Leafkit yawned as her father carried on. He seemed oblivious to the cats around him, as long as they didn't try to leave before he finished his rant. Leafkit flicked her tail, gesturing to her father's apprentice Harepaw, who was enjoying part of a rabbit as Leafkit listened to her father. "How goes the training?" she asked.

"It's great!" replied Harepaw, his light brown fur waving in the wind as he bounded over to Leafkit. "I met my first rogue today." Leafkit gasped with a mixture of admiration and jealousy. _That rogue is lucky that I wasn't there, or I would have shredded them._ Seeing that he had captured Leafkit's interest, Harepaw launched into his tale. "Wolfpaw and I were practicing our fighting moves, and Graynose had just taught me this neat rolling claw move," Harepaw explained. "A white she-cat tried to attack us, but I used my new move to fight her."

"You were pretty brave fighting that rogue all by yourself," Leafkit gushed. "I wish I could have been there with you, but I'm still only four moons old."

"Oh no, I wasn't all alone fighting her," Harepaw explained, while he modestly rubbed the back of his head. "Graynose and Galeflight did most of the fighting for me. Despite how your dad is always give those lectures, he still is really strong."

Leafkit felt a pang of sympathy for Harepaw. She knew full well how boring Galeflight's speeches could be. "How often does he give them to you?" asked Leafkit.

"Every day," Harepaw sighed. "He's great at teaching me stuff, but his speeches are enough to make me wish I had a different mentor."

Leafkit touched his flank sympathetically. _I wonder who will mentor me. It could be anyone. Maybe even Ravenstar himself!_

Meanwhile, Galeflight was still rambling on. "And a leader needs to be just and kind!" he declared. The sound of an approaching warrior's pawsteps caused him to turn his head.

Leafkit turned as well, and she saw that Woodfur, the Clan deputy, had come to the fresh-kill pile. "Ah Woodfur," her father greeted the tom. "To what do I owe this pleasure?"

The black, muscular tom nodded to both Galeflight and Fieldstone. "Galeflight, Fieldstone, Ravenstar wishes to speak to you," he announced. "The two of you have been very active in the debate over whether to go to battle with RiverClan, and Ravenstar wanted to talk about tonight's gathering."

"Alright," Galeflight nodded. "Don't go anywhere until I get back," he said to nobody in particular.

Fieldstone quickly licked her mouth and paws clean, then turned to her apprentice. "Boulderpaw, you're dismissed for now," she told him. "You'll be expected on the Dusk Patrol, and after that, Ravenstar wishes for you attend the gathering." After making sure her apprentice heard her, Fieldstone followed Woodfur to Ravenstar's den.

"Alright!" exclaimed Boulderpaw. "If I meet any of those rogues on the Dusk Patrol, I'll show them the power of WindClan's mighty apprentice, Boulderpaw!" He ran off, most likely to brag to some unsuspecting cat.

Hawkkit smirked. "Mighty apprentice?" she sarcastically echoed. "Who does he think he's fooling?" Hawkkit examined her brown fur for any lingering dirt. However, she didn't need to worry, as her self-cleaning pelt was perfect, as always.

Leafkit turned her gaze back to Harepaw and opened her mouth to speak, but suddenly Harepaw's fur shot up. "Agh!" he shouted. "I forgot that I was going to practice with Emberfoot today! I'll have to see you later, Leafkit." Nodding goodbye, Harepaw darted off before Leafkit could say anything.

Hawkkit grinned. "Harepaw's been in the apprentice den for a moon," she whispered smugly. "I wonder if it's true that he's sharing a nest with Wolfpaw."

Leafkit felt her pelt grow hot with jealousy. "That's a lie!" she shouted. "Take it back." Leafkit tried to swing her paw at Hawkkit, but her sister was as elegant and acrobatic as ever. Hawkkit ducked out of the way of Leafkit's attack, then gracefully left the area. "She's so annoying!" Leafkit shouted. "Seriously, are Hawkkit and I actually sisters?"

Gustkit moved to comfort her. "Don't worry," he reassured her. "You'll be a strong warrior, so you'll have plenty of toms padding after you."

It took a moment for what he had said to register. "Hey!" Leafkit yelled at her brother, who snickered at his own remark. _Still, Harepaw wouldn't sleep in the same nest as Wolfpaw, right?_

Suddenly, Gustkit stopped his movement and held up his paw, warning Leafkit not to do anything. Leafkit looked down to see what had caught his attention, and she saw a pretty blue flower growing in the ground. "Applepaw will love this," said Gustkit, who carefully plucked the flower from the ground. "It will look great with her gray fur and blue eyes." Holding the delicate flower carefully, Gustkit trotted off towards the apprentice den.

"Medicine cats can't have mates!" Leafkit called after Gustkit.

After Gustkit left, Leafkit was the only kit by the fresh-kill pile. The other warriors sat around sharing tongues, but Leafkit had no desire to join them.

She looked around the camp. WindClan camp was located on top of a hill within a vast moor. A tall ring of rock surrounded it, protecting it from attacks by larger creatures and enemy Clans. Gaps within the rock were used as dens, although some WindClan warriors preferred to sleep beneath the stars. Leafkit turned her eyes to the den where she resided. Long, leafy vines stretched out across the entrance to the nursery, and inside queens made their dens with amid the earth. The nursery was filled with the sweet scent of milk, mixed with the earthy ground. It was home. _I still have plenty of time to hang around the camp. I don't need to go back yet._ Leafkit turned her attention to a majestic cave, which was situated above an elevated rock where announcements were made to the Clan. _The leader's den. That's where I'm going to sleep one day._

Suddenly a smaller cat slammed into Leafkit, knocking her breath away. She fell to the ground, then took small breaths as she tried to recover.

"I finally got you, Leafkit!" Eaglekit declared. The gold and white tom bounced up and down. He was thrilled to have finally taken Leafkit by surprise, even if it had only been because Leafkit was distracted. Still, Eaglekit had been silent enough to sneak up on her, so she supposed it counted for something.

"It looks like you got the best of me," Leafkit admitted. "Congratulations."

"Wow he actually did it," mewed a she-cat. "And here I was, thinking that he would forever fail at his mission to surprise you, Leafkit." It was Silverkit, Eaglekit's sister, who was named for her silver fur. Silverkit and Eaglekit were three moons old, making them one moon younger than Leafkit and her littermates. Leafkit considered them both good friends.

"Hey, Harepaw says that he fought a rogue today," Leafkit said, remembering her conversation only a few minutes earlier.

At the mention of Harepaw, Eaglekit grumbled. "Who cares about Harepaw?" he asked. "My father Moorwhisker is leading a patrol to take care of the rogues on our territory as we speak!"

Leafkit was intrigued. As everyone cat in WindClan knew, a few moons earlier, a ShadowClan tom named Bonetail had tried to steal power from the ShadowClan leader Duskstar. When Bonetail's plan failed, he and several cats from each Clan had fled, becoming a band of rogues who stole food and attacked innocent Clan cats.

"That's great!" Leafkit replied. "I can't wait to hear the story of what happens."

Leafkit's interest seemed to fill Eaglekit with pride. "My dad's awesome," he said. "I bet he'll come back with Bonetail's corpse!" Eaglekit turned his eyes expectantly to Leafkit, hoping for a response.

"That probably won't happen," Silverkit cut in. "The mission is to capture Bonetail, not kill him." Eaglekit sighed, although he didn't lose any of his enthusiasm.

"So, we're still going to go and look around the territory tomorrow, right?" Leafkit asked. She wanted to know what the territory looked like before she became an apprentice. Eaglekit had seemed even more excited for this plan than he usually did, which was something Leafkit still found hard to believe.

"Yes!" Eaglekit agreed. "We'll be able to explore all we want!"

"What's this about sneaking out of camp unsupervised?" asked Galeflight.

"We're going to look around the territory and see all the different places around WindClan!" Eaglekit exclaimed. Suddenly it dawned on him that blurting out the entire plan to a responsible warrior might not have been the best idea.

"I'm sorry!" Leafkit quickly apologized. "We just wanted to go and see the territory for ourselves. We're going to get punished now, aren't we?"

Galeflight let out a knowing look. "Punished? For planning?" he asked. "I was sneaking out of camp when I was half your age, Leafkit. If you wanted to see the territory, you could have just asked. I'll take you three out to see the territory tomorrow, so long as it's okay if Harepaw tags along."

Leafkit was ecstatic, but Eaglekit seemed to have been made somewhat miserable by the announcement. "Harepaw," he muttered. "I hate that guy. Why does he have to get in the way of everything?" Leafkit had never understood why Eaglekit disliked Harepaw so much. Harepaw was quite friendly, even if he was brooding sometimes, and he had never acted unkindly towards Eaglekit. Leafkit supposed that it was just some instinct toms had that forced them to be rivals with each other.

"Oh, and one more thing," Galeflight added. "Next time you have a secret, irresponsible plan, try not to be so loud that the whole Clan can hear you." With that, Leafkit's father departed to do something that was most likely important and boring.

As Eaglekit pouted about Harepaw's inclusion on the expedition, Silverkit shot Leafkit a knowing smile. Leafkit returned it with a confused glance; she failed to understand what Silverkit meant.

"I wonder if we'll see any rogues?" Leafkit mused.

With Leafkit's comment, Eaglekit perked up again. "If they try to hurt you tomorrow, I'll shred them!" he declared. "Then I'll shred them a second time just to be sure I got them." He made a demonstrative motion with his paws, acting as if Leafkit didn't understand the concept of shredding.

Suddenly Leafkit realized that she had forgotten something. "I need to go visit Flamefur," she said.

Silverkit snorted. "The elder?" she inquired. "Why are you always going to visit him anyways?"

"He's the only elder in the elder's den," Leafkit explained. "It must be awfully lonely, so I go to visit him and give him some company."

Silverkit sighed. "Why doesn't Ashfall just swallow her pride and move to the elder's den?" she asked.

An object went flying at Silverkit, but she used the speed all WindClan cats were blessed with to avoid it. "I heard that, young'un!" shouted Ashfall.

"I'm sure you did!" Silverkit shouted in reply. Ashfall gave an irritated grunt and padded off to the Warrior's Den.

"I'll be seeing you soon then," said Leafkit to her friends, and she headed off to the Elder's Den.

As she was on her way, she padded by the Medicine Den. Outside, Thistlepelt and Rabbitfoot were engaged in conversation with Brambletail. Brambletail waved to Leafkit with her tail, but Leafkit shook her head in response. She was going to see Flamefur. After that, she would have time to talk with Brambletail.

"Leafkit! Where are going with fur like that?" Leafkit turned to see Snowcloud emerging from the Medicine Den. Her creamy white fur waved in the wind as she rushed over to Leafkit. "You have to look presentable _sometimes_, my young friend," Snowcloud declared. She began to lick down Leafkit's glossy silver fur. Leafkit was a silver tabby, and her thick fur kept her warm, even when the nights were bitterly cold.

"I'm only going to see Flamefur," Leafkit told Snowcloud. "You don't have to be so concerned."

Snowcloud grinned at Leafkit. "I've been told that Flamefur likes it when she-cats are properly groomed on occasion."

"Why does it matter?" Leafkit retorted. "It's not like I want him for my mate."

"Not your type?" teased Snowcloud. "Ah well. You have green eyes like me. The toms love those."

Leafkit remembered the question she had wanted to ask Snowcloud. "Does Nightheart have an apprentice?" she asked.

"Why yes," replied Snowcloud. "Although I don't how it concerns you. If memory serves me correctly, she's a gray tabby of nine moons, and her name is Rainpaw. She's quite cute. You two would make a nice couple if you were older and a tom and- as a matter of fact, forget that. It was a bad analogy."

"Thank you," said Leafkit. "Now I think you've groomed my fur enough. I should get going to see Flamefur now."

Snowcloud nodded, and Leafkit headed to the Elder's Den. On her way, she sighed. Snowcloud was always there for Leafkit, whether she wanted it or not. _Hmm, Rainpaw. I wonder if Gustkit will meet her if he becomes the medicine apprentice._

Leafkit finally reached the Elder's Den and stepped inside. "Hey Flamefur," she greeted the scraggly, ginger tom. "Sorry I'm late."

Flamefur purred. "Don't be so concerned with time, little one," he reassured Leafkit. "As long as someone still cares enough to visit me, I'm happy."

Leafkit sighed. "Snowcloud's so overprotective of me," she complained. "From the way she behaves, you would think she was my mother."

"Don't be so hard on Snowcloud," said Flamefur. "She's still young and somewhat inexperienced. Losing her mentor so early in her apprenticeship was hard on her. But she worries about you. You were a sickly kit when you were younger, and Snowcloud doesn't want it to come back."

"Alright," Leafkit grudgingly agreed. "I'll apologize to Snowcloud when I next see her."

"That's good," Flamefur said. "Now do you want to hear the tale of Firestar the hero and the Three with the power of the stars in their paws?"

"Of course!" exclaimed Leafkit. "That's the best story!"

Flamefur told the tale magnificently. It was an epic story of the battle between good and evil. A vile cat named Tigerstar, along with other villains named Brokenstar, Mapleshade, Hawkfrost, and Thistleclaw walked in the dreams of innocent Clan cats, compelling them to turn against their Clans. However, a brave she-cat named Ivypool volunteered to infiltrate the Dark Forest were these villains resided. She brought back information to three cats: Jayfeather, Dovewing and Lionblaze. With the information they gained, the three were able to make a plan for a counterattack. Meanwhile, Ivypool worked within the Dark Forest to save the cats tempted by Tigerstar's lies. She even met RiverClan's legendary leader Hollowstar, although he was called Hollowflight back then. There were many other cats the heroes met along the way, such as the trickster Sol, or the hero Hollyleaf, who sacrificed her life so that the Clans would have a future. It was said that in doing so, she became the warrior code, guiding the Clans for generations to come. It was a long, beautiful tale, and by the time Flamefur had finished reciting it, the sky was dark and the full moon hung in the sky.

"Thank you for telling me that story!" Leafkit told Flamefur after he had finished his tale.

"No, thank you, little one," replied Flamefur. "It warms my heart that a young cat like you would come here so diligently to keep an elder like me company. Now, it's gotten late. You should head back to the nursery."

"Alright!" agreed Leafkit. "I'll see you tomorrow."

Leafkit headed out into the camp. The night air was cool, and she could hear the songs of distant birds. Leafkit wondered how the singing birds would taste.

Just then, Moorwhisker's patrol came into the camp. Following Moorwhisker were Tigertail, Badgerclaw, Heatherpelt, and several other cats. They were all covered with wounds, but they seemed to be in high spirits, if only for the moment.

"Welcome back to camp, my brave warriors," Ravenstar greeted them. "How did it go?"

"Did you win?" asked Wolfpaw.

"Did you kill them?" Emberfoot called out.

Snowcloud stared at the injuries the cats had. "Do you need any herbs?" she asked. Other cats added their questions, and soon WindClan's camp was filled with the voices of many cats, all speaking at once.

"Please, calm down!" Moorwhisker called to the crowd. "I have a report to give. It should explain what happened." This caused the crowd to quiet down considerably. As he was speaking, the Dusk Patrol returned, joining the group of cats watching Moorwhisker's patrol.

"We managed to handle the rogue problem, but things didn't go exactly as planned," Moorwhisker explained. "We found Bonetail's group of rogues easily, but the rogues were quite strong, and they nearly overpowered us. As it was, we were only able to chase them off, and we would have been killed if not for the injuries most of the rogues had."

"The rogues were injured?" Ravenstar inquired. "Were they fighting amongst themselves?"

Moorwhisker shook his head. "Apparently they were attacked," he explained. "Some cat who called themself 'Ace, the Rogue Hunter' had assaulted their hideout before my patrol reached them. Whoever this cat was, they were able to injure the rogues enough for us to defeat them, and for that I am grateful. Even if we may come into conflict with this cat, I believe that they will be much more willing to talk things out that the rogues."

Ravenstar nodded. "What an interesting discovery," he murmured. "Cats of WindClan, please keep an eye out for the one calling themself 'Ace, the Rogue Hunter'."

Moorwhisker continued with his report. "As well, we were able to drive some cats off of WindClan territory before Bonetail gave the order to flee," he explained. "I don't think that Bonetail will welcome back traitors, so these rogues will most likely be forced to leave the territory of the Clans. Among these rogues forced away was Frost, Bonetail's second-in-command. This is all I have to report."

"Thank you for your services, my warriors," replied Ravenstar. "Now we can all sleep easily. Please, let Snowcloud check up on your injuries."

"I'd be glad to, Ravenstar," said WindClan's medicine cat. Moorwhisker's patrol followed her to the Medicine Den, while Leafkit went to talk with her siblings.

Hawkkit was with Boulderpaw and Applepaw. Leafkit noticed that Applepaw was wearing Gustkit's flower behind her ear, and she felt glad.

"So, Boulderpaw," Hawkkit smirked. "How did WindClan's mighty apprentice gain this wound?" Hawkkit gestured to a large wound on Boulderpaw's nose.

Boulderpaw stuttered nervously. Flicking his eyes back and forth around the camp, he gave in and sighed, "It was a wound received in a fierce battle."

"Fierce battle, Boulderpaw?" asked Applepaw. Turning to Hawkkit, she said, "Don't believe him. RiverClan's medicine apprentice was picking herbs by the border. Boulderpaw was harassing her, so she swiped him on the nose."

"Ah," nodded Hawkkit. "A truly fierce battle indeed. Tell me Boulderpaw, what was this she-cat like? Did she have glowing red eyes and fangs the size of mountains?"

Boulderpaw scowled. "Oh shut up," he snapped. "One thing is for certain. I will get my revenge on that she-cat."

Just then, Ravenstar emerged from his den. "It's time for us to go to the gathering!" he called to his cats. "WindClan, let's head out."

The cats who were lucky enough to go to the gathering arranged themselves in an orderly line. Leafkit ran up to her father, Galeflight. "Please," she begged him. "Let me go to the gathering!"

Galeflight rubbed Leafkit's head. "There, there, little one," he said. "You have to stay here with your mother, but I'll tell you everything tomorrow. And not only that, but you'll be able to see the territory with your friends."

"Alright father," Leafkit agreed. "But when I'm bigger, you have to promise to take me with you to a gathering."

"I promise," replied Galeflight. "I'll take you with me."

With that, the WindClan cats headed off to the island, where they would meet with the other Clans and share news. Leafkit headed back to the nursery, where her mother was waiting for her. Hawkkit and Gustkit were already curled up in Dovesong's nest, dreaming of things to come on later days.

"It seems like you had a big day," mused Dovesong.

"And I have an even bigger one to come tomorrow!" explained Leafkit. "I just wish becoming an apprentice wouldn't take so long. Father promised to take me to a gathering when I get bigger."

Dovesong gently licked her daughter. "You're growing so fast, Leafkit," she whispered. "And you know that your father has never broken a promise."

"I know," whispered Leafkit as she climbed into the nest. "One day, I want to reach out and grab the stars in my paws."

"I'm sure you will, little one," replied her mother. "Good night."

"I'm not tired!" protested Leafkit. But despite this, her drowsiness caught up with her. Soon, she had fallen into a blissful dream.

A shining star awaited her.

**To be continued…**

**Ace is sort of like Batman, no? Or maybe that's just me. Notice how I'm not using gendered pronouns for Ace? Also, Gustkit has a beard, it's just hard to describe in cat language.**

**Thanks for reading my first chapter. I hope you enjoyed it. In the next chapter, we'll get to meet our next hero. Leafkit is a more developed version of Sparrowkit, a character from my dead fic "Chasing the Stars". The next character is completely original to Golden Dawn, and I hope you'll like her. Also, please look forward to seeing more of Bonetail and his rogues in the coming chapters.**

**Seeing as I've introduced a bunch of characters, I'd be grateful if you could share which ones you like and don't like, as well as any shippings that you've already decided to support. I like to know which elements of my story are hit or miss among my readers.**

**Again, thank you for reading my fanfic. I'm incredibly grateful, and hope that I've managed to make it worth however long it took to read this. See you next time!**


	3. Chapter 2 Tidepaw

**Sorry for the long update wait (at least it's not as bad as the time between the prologue and first chapter). There was a lot going on, and this chapter was a beast to write. It turned out more than twice as long as I had originally assumed it would be.**

**Anyway, thanks again for all the reviews and views I got! I'm really happy that you read my fic, and I hope that I can make my story worth your time.**

**Chapter 2**

Tidepaw's sister let out a resounding cough, which echoed through the den. This was followed by a bout of multiple short coughs, and then one final cough before the she-cat collapsed to the ground, unable to stand due to her illness.

"Brightpaw!" Tidepaw shrieked. "Brightpaw, can you hear me? Are you okay?" Tidepaw rushed to her sister's side, and nudged Brightpaw with her nose.

Brightpaw weakly righted herself, although she continued to lie on the ground, unable or unwilling to stand. "I'm alright," mewed Brightpaw, voice hoarse, hazel eyes dull. "But I think I'll have to lie down for a little while. It looks like you'll be attending your first Gathering without me to protect you, little sister."

Brightpaw had emerged from their mother a few moments earlier, a fact that she was always holding over Tidepaw. Tidepaw could forgive Brightpaw for this, because her sister had always been more mature than her seven moons would suggest, watching out for Tidepaw with the devotion of a mother. Tidepaw had envied Brightpaw's boundless reservoir of strength, although she had never imagined that the role of a protective sibling would be thrust upon her like this.

Tidepaw turned to meet the gaze of Nightheart, the black and white medicine cat watching over them. "Are you sure you that there isn't a herb that can help her?" Tidepaw asked him.

Nightheart shook his head guiltily. "I'm, I'm sorry, Tidepaw," he sighed. "We've already tried everything at our disposal. We used tansy and catmint, and we even tried juniper berries, feverfew and lavender. Nothing seems to work. Whatever Brightpaw developed a quarter-moon ago, it's unlike anything RiverClan has ever seen. We're just lucky that your sister's ailment isn't contagious."

Tidepaw nodded, understanding the tom's problems with Brightpaw's illness. Considering the circumstances under which Brightpaw had obtained it, the otherworldly quality of the illness made a certain amount of sense. _I'm sorry Brightpaw,_ she thought. _All of this is my fault. I'll hold my head high, so you don't lose faith like I have._ Tidepaw glanced at her paws, and the fish sitting beside them.

Tidepaw's voice took on a lighter tone as she pushed the fish towards her sister. "Maybe you're just hungry," she teased. "I understand not wanting to be fat, but under-eating is dangerous for your health. Eat up and get some meat on those bones, okay?"

"RiverClan doesn't have enough fish to go around," Brightpaw weakly protested. "I can't just eat a whole fish when I'm not contributing to the Clan." Brightpaw tried to use her little remaining strength to push the fish away, but Tidepaw nudged it back to her.

"No, no, we have plenty of fish," lied Tidepaw. "Otterstar is probably going to have to give some away at the Gathering. Otherwise the camp will be so crowded with food that we won't be able to move." Tidepaw managed to make a grin as she beckoned for her sister to eat the fish.

"You know very well that that's not true," croaked Brightpaw. "We're all starving, and the Clan needs strong warriors more than they need a sickly apprentice."

Tidepaw knew that Brightpaw was right. Her own blue-gray fur, and Nightheart's black and white pelt were both dull. As well, their skin hung loosely, a side effect of their normally large stomachs being thin with hunger. Tidepaw hadn't eaten all day. Still, Brightpaw was skinnier than either of them, with her sickness causing her normally slender frame to become even frailer. Beneath her fur, Tidepaw could make out all of Brightpaw's ribs.

"It's only the beginning of Newleaf, so the fish still have to thaw out," said Tidepaw. "RiverClan's fresh-kill pile will get larger, but right now, you need to eat."

This finally convinced Brightpaw to give in. "Alright, I'll have this," Brightpaw agreed. "But I want you to have some as well, little sister."

Tidepaw shook her head. "I've eaten plenty already," she told Brightpaw. "I couldn't eat another bite."

Brightpaw seemed to believe this, and she began to eat the fish with small, slow bites. Tidepaw felt a pang of envy, but suppressed it. She could live with hunger, but Brightpaw needed all the strength she could get. Instead of watching her sister eat, Tidepaw occupied her time by licking herself clean. She washed her fur, although it still retained its dull shading. Then Tidepaw cleaned her three gray paws and her single black paw.

As Tidepaw was finishing up, a gray tabby she-cat entered the medicine den, carrying a bundle of herbs. She placed the herbs before Nightheart, who slid them to the side. Later, he would tuck them away in a hole beneath a thorn bush, where a stream running through RiverClan's camp had washed some of the earth away. The she-cat then noticed Tidepaw's presence and padded over to her friend. "Tidepaw?" she asked gently. "You're here about Brightpaw, aren't you?"

Tidepaw nodded to the she-cat, who had gestured at Brightpaw with her tail. Tidepaw shot a glance at Brightpaw, who was still eating her fish, then returned her eyes to the medicine apprentice. The she-cat's eyes were sympathetic, yet also guilty. _It's not your fault, Rainpaw,_ thought Tidepaw, wishing that her friend would understand. _I caused this, but Brightpaw is being punished for my mistake._

Then a dark tabby tom poked his head into the medicine den. "Rainpaw, Nightheart, hurry up!" he barked. "You don't want to miss the Gathering, do you?" Then tom noticed Tidepaw and her sister, and he glared at them with his amber eyes. "You two as well," he sternly added.

"Okay, Amberfang," Tidepaw replied. "I think I'll run to the island so that I can get there before the other Clans. Then no cat will ever call me tardy again!"

Amberfang sighed and sat impatiently as Tidepaw and Rainpaw left the medicine den. When Nightheart didn't follow them, Amberfang shot a quizzical glance back at him and Nightheart replied with a shake of his head. "I'm staying here in case Brightpaw's condition gets any worse," Nightheart informed Amberfang. Then he directed his words to his apprentice. "You'll be able to handle yourself among the strange cats alone, right Rainpaw?"

"Yes I will, Nightheart," replied Rainpaw. "Although there's this tom who might cause trouble." She added the second part under her breath, so that only Tidepaw could hear it. Tidepaw hoped that the tom wasn't in love with Rainpaw. Forbidden love only ever led to heartbreak.

"Sure, sure," Amberfang agreed. "You're always going on about the duty a medicine cat owes to his Clan, so arguing with you would only serve to cause _further_ delays in RiverClan's attempt to reach the Gathering." Amberfang finished his words with a grumble and retreated to the group of cats who were preparing to leave for the Gathering Island.

"Do you think Amberfang has always been this grumpy?" Tidepaw asked Rainpaw as they left the camp. "I can imagine him complaining that he didn't want to be born, because his mother's stomach was warmer than the outside world."

Instead of replying to Tidepaw's joke, Rainpaw frowned. She seemed like she was deep in thought. After a long time, Rainpaw finally asked, "How do you do it?"

"Do what?" Tidepaw replied. Rainpaw couldn't be referring to some special talent; Tidepaw didn't have anything like that.

"How do you bear it?" asked Rainpaw. "In just one day, your father was killed by rogues, your mother disappeared without a trace, and your sister received an incurable disease. But despite this, you're always so upbeat. It's been a quarter-moon since it happened, and I don't think I've ever seen you unhappy in all this time!"

"Hey you're not giving me enough credit if you forget about this!" complained Tidepaw as she used her black paw to gesture to a large scar that ran across her forehead. "But I've still got my mentor Graywave, and you're the best medicine cat ever, so I'm sure you'll find a cure for Brightpaw. I still have a good enough life. We warriors are built to endure hardship." Tidepaw looked Rainpaw in the eye, hoping that her friend would believe her.

Before Rainpaw could reply, the moonlight revealed a stream ahead of the cats. Tidepaw lowered herself into the water and began pushing herself to the other side with her paws. She savoured the feeling of the cool water against her fur. It was one of the few pleasures Tidepaw still allowed herself. _So they see a kind, upbeat she-cat when they look at me?_ reflected Tidepaw. _That's better than them knowing the truth about me. If they did, they'd hate me. Everyone always overlooks the happy ones. The ones who sulk stand out, but nobody ever thinks that someone so cheerful could be so broken inside._ Tidepaw pulled herself from the stream and looked towards the Gathering Island. It seemed to radiate with moonlight, as if StarClan had designed it to catch the stars.

Rainpaw crawled out of the stream behind Tidepaw, panting with exhaustion. Tidepaw knew that Rainpaw hadn't been eating as much either, but surely a short swim like that shouldn't have left her friend so out of breath? Tidepaw was about to ask, but then she noticed that the rest of her Clanmates seemed tired from the swim as well. _If I have this much energy compared to my Clanmates, I must not be working hard enough,_ decided Tidepaw. She resolved to go on some extra patrols on the day after the Gathering.

Before Rainpaw could bring up the topic of Tidepaw's strength again, Tidepaw asked Rainpaw a question of her own. "So who's this tom that might cause trouble?" Tidepaw inquired. "It better not be because of love. I was sure that you became a medicine apprentice so that toms wouldn't chase after you."

"No, no!" Rainpaw hastily replied. "It's nothing like that. I was gathering some herbs near the WindClan border, and there was a patrol nearby. A tom from the patrol was bothering me, and he got the idea to take my herbs. When he tried to cross the border, I swiped him on the nose. He said that he would have his revenge one day, but he seemed pretty harmless."

Tidepaw forced a mischievous look onto her face. "Why Rainpaw, you hurt a WindClan tom?" she teased with mock sternness. "But everyone knows that whenever you hurt a tom, they come after you with words of love and gifts of fresh-kill in an attempt to win your heart!"

Rainpaw shrugged. "As long as I get to eat," she replied.

"And now we have arrived at the island," Amberfang called back to Tidepaw and Rainpaw. Tidepaw felt a sense of unfamiliarity when nearing the island. While there was plenty of water nearby, there were no streams crisscrossing the territory, and the grass felt dry, unlike the damp and comforting fields she was used to. Still, Tidepaw felt a strange tug towards the island, as if she needed to go to there in order to become complete.

There was a rotting tree filling in the gap between the island and the shore, but when Tidepaw headed toward it, Amberfang blocked her path with his massive tail. "This tree was apparently used by Clan cats in the past, but by now it's too decayed to be safe," he explained. "You can use those stepping stones a few foxlengths away, or you can swim to the island like a true RiverClan cat."

"Sure, sure," replied Tidepaw. "I _probably_ won't dissolve if I get my paws wet."

Tidepaw followed after Rainpaw, who was already partway across the stepping-stones. Rainpaw was nine moons old, so she had already been to a few Gatherings. Tidepaw relished the feeling of the cool water on her paws as she hopped across each stone. After making the final leap to the island, she sighed, the familiar water snatched away from her.

Tidepaw followed the rest of her Clan into the clearing, where she found that the other Clans had all arrived before RiverClan. Tidepaw skirted over to the nearby Amberfang and bowed her head in mock shame. "It seems like my reputation for lateness is correct after all," she told him. "I guess I'll have to arrive at the next Gathering a day early in order to finally get rid of it."

Amberfang barred his teeth at her and growled. "Go entertain yourself somewhere else," he hissed. "I have important business to attend to, and being bothered an overly energetic she-cat isn't part of it." He stormed off towards a group of cats who seemed to be waiting for him. Tidepaw recognized Badgerclaw of WindClan, but the rest were unknown to her.

Tidepaw felt relieved as Amberfang left. Now that he was gone, nobody would bother her when she sat by herself. _Amberfang still seems to hate me even though he doesn't know the truth about me,_ Tidepaw decided. _I deserve hatred, so I won't protest. Cheerfulness better not be contagious. I don't want to catch it from myself._

Two of the Clan leaders were sitting in the central tree already. Tidepaw recognized a gray she-cat with green eyes as Duskstar, ShadowClan's leader. The other, a moderately sized brown tom, was obviously ThunderClan's leader Thornstar. Beneath the tree, Tidepaw saw Ravenstar, a jet-black tom, conversing with two warriors. One was a ginger tom who seemed to be frantically trying to explain something to him, while the other was a brown tabby she-cat who seemed icily in control of herself.

"So, now that RiverClan have decided to come, can we finally start sharing news?" asked Duskstar while she glowered at the RiverClan cats who had made her wait.

Ravenstar raised his paw to object. "Another few minutes is all I ask for," he protested.

"Alright Ravenstar, you can hold us up," sighed Duskstar. "Just remember that you'll be the target of the inevitable revolt."

Tidepaw watched as Otterstar, RiverClan's fearless leader, approached the central tree, then leaped to the top and took her place among the branches. She managed to retain her air of composure, fluffing out her milky white fur to hide the effects of the hunger that had preyed on all of RiverClan.

Tidepaw took her first step away from the multitude of cats who were sharing tongues on the island, only to be halted by Rainpaw's voice. "Do you want me to point out the other medicine cats for you?" she asked.

"That would be great!" replied Tidepaw, pretending to be filled with enthusiasm. "I need to know who to talk to for herbs when I barge into an enemy camp."

"Okay, let me explain," began Rainpaw. "Over there is where the medicine cats are speaking with each other. See, it's the place with Foxwhisker." Rainpaw flicked her tail to show Tidepaw the place

Tidepaw followed the direction of Rainpaw's gesture to a group of cats conversing with each other. Tidepaw did know Foxwhisker, the ShadowClan medicine cat, and she also knew Darkpaw, a dark tom who was conversing with a young, white WindClan she-cat. Tidepaw hissed with envy. _These WindClan cats have so much food that their wiry frames are bursting with plumpness. Why can't they just let my Clan have some? We'll die without it._ The animosity Tidepaw felt towards WindClan was further increased by the white she-cat's casual interaction with Darkpaw. Tidepaw knew the arrogant, bloodthirsty, fish-brained tom well, and if WindClan's medicine apprentice thought highly of him, it reflected poorly on her Clan.

"Next to Foxwhisker is Stonepaw, her apprentice," Rainpaw explained as she pointed out a gray tom. "He's the youngest of the medicine apprentices, since he only joined our ranks at the last half-moon Gathering." Rainpaw pointed out a ginger ThunderClan tom and a small, light brown she-cat next. "That's Sunstorm and next to him is his apprentice, Dawnfern," Rainpaw continued. "Don't let Dawnfern's small stature fool you. At eighteen moons, she's the oldest of the medicine apprentices."

As Rainpaw turned to point out the she-cat next to Darkpaw, Tidepaw flattened her ears and snarled. She continued until she realized what she was doing, at which point she quickly regained her composure. "I was practicing for the snarling contest," Tidepaw told Rainpaw. "The one with the most venom in their snarl wins something."

Rainpaw sighed. "I can understand that you're suspicious of Darkpaw," she replied. "He is the one who found you father's body, after all. Still, I'd prefer a less open display of hatred." Tidepaw nodded to Rainpaw, trying to portray some naïve form of agreement. In reality, Tidepaw hated Darkpaw for reasons tied to her own self-loathing, but Rainpaw didn't need to know her history with the dark tom.

"Anyway, that's Snowcloud, the WindClan medicine cat," continued Rainpaw as she gestured towards the shady spot where Darkpaw was speaking with the WindClan medicine apprentice.

Tidepaw looked for Snowcloud, but she couldn't seem to locate the WindClan medicine cat. "I'm kind of embarrassed, but I can only see Snowcloud's apprentice," Tidepaw admitted. "Can you point her out to me?"

"Snowcloud's… apprentice?" asked Rainpaw, her face contorted in confusion. Then her eyes lit up with understanding, and her face grew more solemn. "Snowcloud doesn't have an apprentice," she explained. "That white she-cat _is_ Snowcloud."

"What?" gasped Tidepaw. "But, she's barely old enough to be a warrior! How is she a full medicine cat?"

Rainpaw stared at her paws, obviously depressed about Snowcloud's story. "It'll take a little while to explain," she said, then took a quick glance at Ravenstar and his two warriors. Tidepaw looked at them as well, noting that the WindClan leader didn't seem like he would finish anytime soon. Then Rainpaw sighed and began her story.

"When Snowcloud was just a kit, she wanted nothing more than to be WindClan's medicine cat," Rainpaw explained. "So at six moons, she became the apprentice of Cloverstem, WindClan's medicine cat. Snowcloud was a quick learner, and they had a good relationship. Although Cloverstem was a notoriously cranky old she-cat, I've heard that she never said an unkind word about Snowcloud. However, five moons ago, when Snowcloud was eight moons old, tragedy struck. While Cloverstem was collecting herbs, she was killed by a passing fox. WindClan was left with a medicine cat who was young and inexperienced. Fortunately, Snowcloud had been a quick learner, so she knew most of the required skills. What she didn't know was taught to her by Foxwhisker, Nightheart, and Sunstorm. She's a fine medicine cat for WindClan, but my heart goes to her for the tragedy she's had to deal with when she was so young."

Rainpaw's story was finished, and Tidepaw gaped. Looking back at the white she-cat, Tidepaw found a new respect for her emerge. A lot of responsibility had been placed on Snowcloud's shoulders when she had been not much older than Tidepaw. Snowcloud held her head high, and Tidepaw could tell that she had risen above her fate. _I wish I had strength like yours, Snowcloud. I still need to fully devote myself to the cats I want to protect. You've taken the whole Clan as your responsibility. I can't imagine how that feels._ Snowcloud looked up at Tidepaw, catching her eye. She smiled slightly, as if encouraging Tidepaw to push forward into the future. Tidepaw nodded back to her, happy to be noticed.

"I can't begin to imagine the hardship she's endured," said Tidepaw. "Still, she seems strong enough to shrug it all off. I could look up to someone like that."

A hint of a smile revealed itself on Rainpaw's face, and she teasingly poked Tidepaw's nose with her tail. "I think we can all find cats who we admire for their strength," Rainpaw playfully told Tidepaw.

Suddenly, Tidepaw realized something. "Wait, why is there a medicine cat named Sunstorm?" she asked as she batted Rainpaw's tail away with her black paw. "Don't our customs say that the sun is sacred, and shouldn't be used as part of a name? This better not be some new fad that's going around. I mean, what if a queen names her kit 'Starkit', and then the kit becomes Clan leader? I don't think anyone would be able to keep a straight face while celebrating that cat's new name, so-"

"Actually there's quite a story behind that," mewed a newcomer, causing Tidepaw to be cut off as she jumped in shock.

Tidepaw managed to recover her breath, and saw that the cat who had snuck up on her was ThunderClan's ginger medicine cat. Tidepaw quickly massaged her now-aching black paw, then returned her gaze to the tom. Rainpaw was bowing her head in respect, but Tidepaw met the tom with a glare, acting as she assumed an energy-filled apprentice would.

"What was that for?" Tidepaw snarled at Sunstorm. "Did you receive training on how to sneak up on and terrify helpless apprentices?"

Sunstorm paused thoughtfully, scratching his chin with his paw. "Did I?" he wondered aloud. "Although you're obviously far from helpless, that's a good question. Let me think for a moment." He paused as if deep in thought, then slapped his paw on the ground, congratulating himself. "Aha!" Sunstorm declared. "It seems that the terrorizing of apprentices wasn't one of the things I was taught while training to be a medicine cat."

"Very funny," Tidepaw flatly replied.

"Indeed," agreed Sunstorm, ignoring the sarcasm in Tidepaw's words. "Now then, young she-cat, you and Rainpaw look rather thin. I caught a squirrel just moments ago, so would you like to share with me?" From behind his back, the ginger tom slid a plump squirrel. He beamed at it, then looked at the two she-cats, smiling as if he wanted their approval.

Tidepaw didn't want to be hasty, but the hunger in her stomach was too much to ignore. "Yes please!" she exclaimed, then tore off a large hunk of the squirrel and began to devour it. Tidepaw tried to savour the taste, but her ravenous hunger made her quickly gulp down the meat she had been eating. She hungrily tore off another piece, as Rainpaw did the same beside her. Soon, the fat squirrel was gone, and Sunstorm hadn't gotten a single bite.

"I'm sorry!" Tidepaw quickly apologized. "I seem to have eaten your squirrel before you could."

Sunstorm responded to the apprentices with another smile. "You don't need to apologize," he reassured Tidepaw. "If you were that hungry, then I can't fault you for eating. I can always catch more food if I want something."

Suddenly, Sunstorm began staring at Tidepaw intently, as if something about her had caught his eye. Tidepaw took a moment to understand, but then she realized what it was that had made the medicine cat so interested. "Oh, you're looking at these," she said, gesturing to her black paw and the claw scratch running from her right ear to just above her left eye. Sunstorm seemed embarrassed, but Tidepaw smiled to cool his nerves. "Don't worry, everyone thinks they're odd," she told the medicine cat.

"Yes, I feel compelled to investigate," Sunstorm admitted. "If it isn't too personal, would you mind telling me how you got them?"

"It's no trouble at all," Tidepaw told him with the same false cheerfulness as always. _They always want to know where I got them. At least I have a fairly good answer._ "I've had the black paw for as long as I can remember, so it's probably some sort of quirk," she told him, letting the much-used lie slip from her tongue. "I received the scar a quarter moon ago when I tried to fight a bramble thicket. I lost."

"How intriguing," Sunstorm replied. "The scar still looks fresh, as if it hasn't changed since you first got it. I wonder why that is."

Before Tidepaw could be quizzed further, a loud meow called out to all those attending the Gathering. "I'm ready to begin now!" declared Ravenstar. "My discussion is done."

Ravenstar flicked his tail to his two warriors to signal that they were to return to the crowd of WindClan warriors. Then he leaped up into the central tree and took his place with the other Clan leaders. At the base of the tree the four deputies, Woodfur of WindClan, Mistfur of RiverClan, Redclaw of ShadowClan, and Sandstone of ThunderClan, took their places, keeping their watchful eyes on the Clan cats as the leaders began to speak.

As Duskstar opened her mouth to speak, Tidepaw noticed Darkpaw walking towards her. _Great, he noticed me. Why does he think I'd still want to have anything to do with him?_ Tidepaw returned her attention to Duskstar, listening to what the ShadowClan leader had to say.

"Newleaf has returned once again, and ShadowClan is reaping the benefits," she explained. "Already the prey is plentiful, and ShadowClan go to their dens each night with full stomachs. We are growing stronger still, with each warrior's fighting ability increasing every day." Tidepaw saw the veiled threat behind her words. _If you challenge ShadowClan, you will regret it._ "Although Newleaf calls new cats to serve the Clan, it also brings an end to the tireless work of others," continued Duskstar. "Goldleaf, our noble warrior, has retired to the Elder's Den. He has served his Clan well, and we shall care for him as he lives a peaceful life. But also, the Clan becomes stronger with new apprentices. Our medicine cat Foxwhisker has taken an apprentice: Stonepaw. As well, Stonepaw's siblings, Marshpaw and Skypaw, are now training under Toadclaw and Crowfur."

The cats at the Gathering began to call out the names of the new apprentices, chanting them aloud to inspire pride in the cats who now trained until their acceptance as full members of the Clan.

"Stonepaw! Marshpaw! Skypaw! Stonepaw! Marshpaw! Skypaw!"

Duskstar nodded her respect to the three apprentices, whose identities Tidepaw could discern by the excitement showing in their eyes. "As well, two apprentices have been recognized as full warriors of ShadowClan," declared Duskstar. "My kits, Darkpaw and Cherrypaw, are now Darkclaw and Cherrynose!"

The gathered cats chanted again, welcoming the two new warriors. Tidepaw didn't put as much enthusiasm into Darkclaw's name as the other warriors did, but she gave his sister, Cherrynose, the benefit of doubt.

Then the chanting died down, as Duskstar signalled that it was Thornstar's turn to speak. _So he's _Darkclaw_ now,_ thought Tidepaw. _That would make sense. He did mention that his warrior assessment was coming up._ Tidepaw looked up, and noticed that Darkclaw had reached her.

The jet-black tom padded up to Tidepaw, confusion showing in his amber eyes. "No congratulations for an old friend?" asked Darkclaw.

Tidepaw worried that Rainpaw and Sunstorm would hear her, but all the surrounding cats were caught up in listening to whatever Thornstar was announcing. "We're done, Darkclaw," Tidepaw snapped at him. "None of this ever should have happened in the first place."

Darkclaw seemed hurt for a moment, but then his expression changed to one of anger. "Fine," he snarled at Tidepaw. "If you want to be that way, I don't care. But you'll come to understand me one day. And when you do, you'll beg for my forgiveness." Darkclaw began to walk away, only to turn around for a moment. "Nice scar," he said, before looking at her feet. "Wait, have you always had that black paw?"

"Yes I have," hissed Tidepaw. "You were just too busy looking at yourself to notice."

Darkclaw muttered something under his breath, then stalked back to where his Clanmates were waiting. _What do I need to understand about Darkclaw?_ wondered Tidepaw. _On the outside, he's arrogant, bloodthirsty, and cruel. On the inside, he's exactly the same._ With a jolt, Tidepaw realized that Ravenstar was already partway through sharing WindClan's news. The other cats were cheering for some apprentices, so Tidepaw joined in.

"Harepaw! Applepaw! Harepaw! Applepaw!"

"And now, before Otterstar shares what she has to say, I have an important announcement," explained Ravenstar. "Earlier in the day, my brave warrior Moorwhisker led a patrol to fight Bonetail's rogues. Although Moorwhisker is back at the camp, recovering from his injuries, I'd like to invite Tigertail, who was also on the patrol, to give his report on what occurred during this mission." Ravenstar flicked his tail, inviting Tigertail to take a spot in front of the tree and share the result of his battle.

Tigertail, a ginger tom with a black striped tail, obliged, taking a spot next to the Clan deputies. "Okay, I'll explain what happened," he said to the Clan cats, who waited anxiously. "The rogues had been camping out on our territory for a little while, so Ravenstar sent us to defeat them and capture Bonetail. Heatherpelt managed to track their scent, and we soon got to the clearing where the rogues had made their hideout. Although we had several strong cats on our patrol, the rogues were more powerful that we had anticipated."

So far, Tigertail's report disturbed Tidepaw. As she scratched her ear with her black paw, she considered his words. _If WindClan is as strong as they seem and they were overpowered by the rogues, then RiverClan won't stand a chance against Bonetail. Still, I'll fight with all I've got. It's only fair that I give my life for my Clan._ Her scratching finished, Tidepaw licked her black paw clean and returned it to the cool ground.

"Luckily, the rogues had quite a few injuries," Tigertail carried on. "Thanks to those wounds, we were able to defeat them, but just barely. We have a pretty good guess where the wounds came from, and it's thanks to a comment one of the rogues made. While fighting, this cat said, 'Does every cat have it out for us today or something? First that Ace, the Rogue Hunter cat attacked us, and now this!' Based on that remark, it's logical to assume that there is a vigilante referring to themself as 'Ace, the Rogue Hunter'. It is because of this cat that we were able to drive Bonetail's rogues to the west. That is all." With that, Tigertail returned to the WindClan cats with which he had been sitting.

A light breeze blew through the night, sending scattered leaves flying through Tidepaw's fur. As they did, her hope seemed to drain away. _West? Those WindClan cats drove Bonetail and his rogues directly into RiverClan! Even if they do need time to recover, RiverClan won't stand a chance._ Tidepaw slammed her paw to the ground, hissing with fury directed towards the WindClan patrol.

Tidepaw hadn't meant for anyone to hear her outburst, but it seemed to have caught the attention of WindClan's leader. "Is something the matter, young apprentice?" asked Ravenstar, as cool and collected as ever.

Tidepaw tried to muster up an apology, but the RiverClan warrior Duckfoot stepped in front of her, anger making his fur shoot up. He shot a glare at Ravenstar, then began to say what must have been on the mind of every RiverClan cat.

"Your patrol drove the rogues directly into our territory!" he snarled. "If you can't handle them, then how are we supposed to?"

Ravenstar looked Duckfoot over with cool indifference. "You'll find a way," he replied, shrugging his shoulders to indicate his lack of a reason to care. "You've already found plenty of ways to steal our prey. How much more difficult could fighting a rogue be? Now, about the prey theft, I think that a punishment is in order."

Otterstar cut him off. "Ravenstar, please forgive my warrior's outburst," she pleaded. "The prey has been running poorly in RiverClan, while the other Clans have territories rich with wildlife. RiverClan won't be able to survive without food. I apologize for hunting in WindClan without your permission, but our every attempt to speak with you has been met with resistance. Please, allow us some of your food, even if we have to be monitored or hunted for." She stared at Ravenstar, and Tidepaw knew RiverClan needed him to grant them hunting rights.

Ravenstar considered her request for a moment, then shook his head. "Sorry Otterstar," he said. "I can't do that, not even for you. Why should we encourage the Warrior Code to be broken? Two Newleafs ago, we granted RiverClan emergency hunting rights, but you overstepped your boundaries and left WindClan starving. If I grant you these rights, then the same thing will happen."

For a moment that seemed to take moons, Otterstar didn't register what Ravenstar had said, and hope fluffed up her fur. Then Tidepaw saw that hope shatter, being replaced by despair as Otterstar understood what WindClan's leader meant. "No, no," she repeated slowly. Otterstar turned to the other two leaders. "Duskstar, Thornstar, please," she mewed.

Both leaders shook their heads.

Otterstar's mouth hung open in shock as she finally accepted her Clan's doom. Tidepaw gaped as well. _The other Clans refused us? Is this the end for RiverClan, then?_ Tidepaw hung her in dismay. If there wasn't any food, then RiverClan wouldn't be able to survive. As misery began to settle in among the RiverClan cats, a voice rang clear around the island.

"How could you?"

Tidepaw turned her eyes to the speaker, a motion that was echoed by all of the cats at the Gathering. It was the ginger tom to whom Ravenstar had been speaking before the Clans had started sharing their news.

"Otterstar, a Clan leader, abandoned her pride and begged for you to help her keep RiverClan alive!" declared the tom. "All the Clans except RiverClan are having rich and bountiful prey runs! How do you justify refusing her like that? The warrior code says that there must always be four Clans in the forest! Do you think you can decide the fate of another Clan on a whim?" Fury radiated throughout the tom, rage directed at the Clan leaders for their refusal to aid RiverClan.

Ravenstar's icy demeanour broke as he glared at the WindClan tom. "You forget yourself, Galeflight," he snarled. "You are just a lowly warrior. Survival of the fittest is, and has always been, the way of the world. If this is what StarClan seeks, who are we to refuse? Now, silence yourself, or you will be punished!"

Galeflight lowered his head, eyes darkening as if defeated. "Survival of the fittest is what everything leads to, huh?" he muttered. For a moment, Tidepaw was worried that Ravenstar had managed to break his warrior easily. Then Galeflight's head shot back up, eyes filled with more defiance than Tidepaw had thought a cat could have. "If you expect me to believe that, then you're a fool!" Galeflight roared. "But, if this world really is as rotten as you say it is, then I won't surrender to it. I'll become Clan leader and change things! The preservation of the Clans is the code that I live by!" Galeflight glared at Ravenstar, as if offering him the chance to do better.

"Galeflight, maybe you'd like to join RiverClan if you like them so much?" asked Duskstar.

"I will support Galeflight!" Sunstorm called out, causing Tidepaw to jump again. "The survival of all four Clans has always been StarClan's will, and I will not let you condemn another Clan for the sake of your pride."

Redclaw looked up at Duskstar, who was glaring at the cats who spoke against their leaders. "Duskstar, perhaps you could reconsider?" he said, offering her the choice. "If you support RiverClan, they will grow stronger. In times when the Clans are rival, stronger foes lead to us pushing ourselves to grow stronger. Our strength comes from our weakness. And in times when we face a common enemy, all the Clans lend their strength to each other, allowing us all to continue living. That is how it has always been."

Duskstar's hostility deepened. "Redclaw, you too would speak out against your leader?" she asked.

Redclaw nodded. "Yes I would," he replied. "I'll walk this road, confident that it will lead me to further strength."

Duskstar glared at her deputy, suggesting that they would have a long talk later. Shouts came from the Clans, with several other cats declaring their intent to help RiverClan. The rest of their Clanmates argued back, and the Gathering was thrown into discord.

A powerful voice spoke over them all, commanding silence with every word. "How strange. Don't you Clan cats pride yourselves on your rules and regulations? Yet when I come for a visit, I see you squabbling like a bunch of restless kits."

The speaker was a gigantic white tom, whose immense power rippled through his massive body. As he walked forward, it seemed like the earth itself would move to accommodate for his grandeur.

"Bonetail," hissed Duskstar.

"Indeed," agreed the powerful tom. "I see that the Clans are as selfish and arrogant as ever."

Tigertail stepped out from the crowd of WindClan cats and headed towards Bonetail. "Why are you here, rogue?" he spat. "We've beaten you already. Did you think you'd fare better alone?"

"Maybe he's here to surrender," suggested Darkclaw. "Bonetail doesn't understand it yet, but he lost this war a long time ago."

"Alone?" asked Bonetail, a hearty roar of amusement vibrating through his body. "Why would I come alone? And you, WindClan warrior, misunderstand me. I don't _lose_ battles. I simply know when to sacrifice one victory for the sake of another."

All around the island, the trees began to rustle. Out of each one leaped several rogues, until Bonetail had the Clan cats surrounded by a massive swarm of them.

"You asked why we are here?" Bonetail hissed, surveying the Clan cats like he would a piece of fresh-kill. "Negotiations."

"I don't recognize these cats!" Ravenstar exclaimed. "What Clan are they from and how did you get so many of them?"

Bonetail began to chuckle again. "These aren't Clan cats," he explained. "There are many cats who would join me in a heartbeat just for the chance to put the Clans in their place. After all, you think of yourselves as better than others just because of your warrior code and borders. Can you think of anything more arrogant? These cats agree with me! I have enough rogues at my disposal to form my own Clan, and each of them can match any warrior you have!"

Snowcloud stepped forward to face the enormous gang of rogues. "Is that what you really believe, Bonetail?" she asked. "Because you're wrong! There is always something worth fighting for. We all have things that we have to protect!"

Bonetail's chuckle turned into a hearty laugh, and he padded forward until his nose was only a mouselength away from Snowcloud's. "It doesn't matter what I believe," he hissed. "All that matters is that I have cats willing to fight for me."

Duskstar sighed, then gave Bonetail a look of consideration. "You said you wanted to negotiate?" she called to him. "On what terms?"

Bonetail fixed his gaze on the central tree, and Tidepaw could make out a look of hunger coming upon him. "Give me all the medicine cats," Bonetail hissed. "If you do that, then I won't destroy your Clans."

Tidepaw worried that the leaders would succumb to some inner weakness and agree to Bonetail's request. _I can't let that happen. They have to be strong enough to protect their Clans!_ Tidepaw rushed over to Bonetail before the leaders had a chance to reply. "Never!" she snarled. "Our medicine cats are what connect us to StarClan, and they provide healing to keep the Clan safe! If we just gave them to you, it would be like giving up the stars themselves!"

Bonetail turned his head to face Tidepaw at an agonizingly slow speed. Then he stepped over to her and extended his body to its full height so that he towered over her. Instead of backing down like Bonetail seemed to want her to, Tidepaw fluffed up her fur in defiance and looked up at him, their gazes locking onto each other.

"So the apprentice speaks for the Clans, eh?" Bonetail asked. "You have spirit, I'll give you that. But I am not merely some ruthless killer." Bonetail snapped a command to one of his rogues. "Bring her!"

The rogue nodded, sliding behind the large mass of cats Bonetail had assembled. The he re-emerged, carrying a tiny, white kit in his jaws.

As the Clan cats gasped, Bonetail let out another awful chuckle. "So you see, I am not without mercy," he told them. "This kit tried to follow her Clan to the Gathering. I have brought her to you unharmed. You're lucky I was the one to find her. My rogues are not quite so gentle." He hissed the last word, implying that his rogues held no code of honour.

The rogue who has holding the kit by the scruff released her, and she went racing towards the ShadowClan cats. Surprisingly, it was Darkclaw who ran forward to meet her. "Hopekit!" he exclaimed. "What were you thinking, leaving your mother and father like that?" There was a gentleness in Darkclaw's voice that Tidepaw had never heard before, and she wondered how the arrogant tom had managed to conjure it up.

"I wanted to follow the warriors and see the Gathering!" squeaked Hopekit. "I may be small, but I'm nearly six moons old."

"Act like it," hissed Darkclaw.

Bonetail padded forward, addressing the leaders once more. "So you see, I am a benevolent master," he explained. "Leave your medicine cats in my care, and in return I will leave you in peace!"

As quick as a flash, something flew towards Bonetail. Tidepaw's eyes adjusted to its blinding speed, and she saw that it was Galeflight. He raced forward, and slashed Bonetail's muzzle, shoving the powerful tom to the ground.

"Enough!" roared Galeflight. "You claim to be a good ruler, but you're really just another would-be conqueror! I'll show you the true way of the warriors. It's the duty of strong to protect the weak, so I'll fight you, and I'll give my life if I have to!" Galeflight raised his claws, preparing for any retaliatory attack that Bonetail would use.

Galeflight's words seemed to be only a mild annoyance to Bonetail, who stood up and twitched his tail in aggravation. Bonetail licked up his blood with relish, then beckoned for his rogues to draw closer.

"Although I've been met with resistance, the leaders still haven't made up their minds," he concluded. "I'll return soon. Decide quickly. The fate of your Clans hangs in the balance." Bonetail turned and padded away from the Clan cats, and several of his rogues followed him. As he walked away, he barked one last command to the rogues who were still on the island. "Give them a little demonstration, won't you?"

Instantly, the rogues unsheathed their claws and rushed forward, bloodlust in their eyes. In response, Tidepaw unsheathed her own claws, and leaped on a brown rogue who was heading towards the RiverClan cats. He hadn't expected to be attacked by a tiny apprentice such as herself, so Tidepaw managed to gain the element of surprise. Tidepaw slashed at his ears and pulled at his fur, trying to distract him from her Clanmates. _I hate fighting, but I won't let you hurt the cats here at this Gathering!_ Tidepaw's blood rushed through her ears as she continued her assault on the brown tom's back. He managed to compose himself and he knocked Tidepaw off his back with a mighty heave.

Tidepaw managed to roll herself over so that she wasn't winded by falling off his back, but as she did, the tom delivered a blow to her flank, slicing open her side. Tidepaw managed to get a swipe at his muzzle before skipping backwards, out of the tom's range. "Here, kitty, kitty," Tidepaw whispered as her opponent rushed forward.

Tidepaw prepared to dodge as her opponent reached her, but she was too slow, and his powerful swipe sent her flying into the air. Tidepaw managed to regain her balance while airborne, and delivered another blow to her foe's hulking head. However, she landed awkwardly, and her opponent delivered another blow, knocking her to the ground. Crimson blood was dripping onto her black paw from a second wound that had been opened up by her opponent. Her opponent had blood dripping from his wounds as well, but it was clear that they didn't bother him much. He was still as strong as ever. _Bonetail wasn't kidding around,_ thought Tidepaw. _It looks like I really will die here. Did my life ever have meaning? Will my death change anything in the world?_ Tidepaw's vision grew hazy as the brown tom walked forward, his blood dripping onto her fur.

The tom's golden eyes met Tidepaw's blue eyes, and he kicked her in the stomach while sneering. "You're just a little she-cat!" the brown rogue snarled. "What did you think you could do against me?" He raised his paw for the finishing blow, and Tidepaw wondered if she would make it to StarClan. _Probably not,_ she reflected.

Suddenly, a dizzying white flash slammed into the brown tom. "Then how about a much bigger she-cat?" asked someone whom Tidepaw could recognize as Snowcloud. Snowcloud unleashed a barrage of attacks on the brown rogue, pushing him away from Tidepaw. As the fought, Tidepaw's vision became clearer, and she was able to make out everything.

Then Galeflight appeared, and he grabbed the tom from behind, pulling him away from Snowcloud. "Snowcloud, take a look at that injured apprentice!" Galeflight ordered. "I'll handle this guy!" Galeflight spun the tom around with his strength, and the two began wrestling on the ground.

Snowcloud zipped over to Tidepaw and began licking her wounds clean. "Are you okay, little one?" she asked. "That was a very brave thing you did, but it looks like you took quite a beating. The tom you were fighting is called Bear. He's been troubling WindClan for several moons now, and Bonetail seems to be taking advantage of his hatred."

Tidepaw nodded to Snowcloud. She managed to muster up enough strength to pull herself to her paws, and from there she was able to survey what was happening with the other cats. Amberfang, Badgerclaw, and Cherrynose were fighting a gray she-cat, while Darkclaw was doing his best to fend off three rogues who were trying to swipe at Hopekit. The deputies were all trying to hold their own against two rogues, while the Clan leaders were taking on a small group of them. Sunstorm, Rainpaw, and Tigertail were finding a muscular black tom, while all around the island many other Clan cats were having their own struggles with the rogues.

Then Tidepaw's eyes were drawn back to Galeflight and Bear. As Tidepaw watched Galeflight fight, words her father had said moons ago repeated themselves in her mind. "It's not a question of how strong I am," Quailfeather had told Tidepaw. "It's how I gain my strength. I believe that when we are protecting something precious to ourselves, we can grow more ferocious than the warriors of TigerClan." With each blow, Galeflight was demonstrating true strength. But Bear was strong as well, and Tidepaw worried that the battle could go either way.

Tidepaw beckoned to Snowcloud. "Come on, let's help Galeflight," she said.

Tidepaw and Snowcloud raced towards Bear, adding their own attacks to Galeflight's assault. Bear was a strong cat, but under the attack of three cats, he was weakening. Without warning, Bear raised his paws and pushed the other three cats away, slapping them with his tail as he shoved them. Then he dug his paws into the damp earth and sent a cloud of dirt flying at the three cats. Momentarily blinded, Tidepaw was unable to react as Bear retreated from the battle and returned to wherever Bonetail was waiting.

Looking around the island, Tidepaw could see the other cats covered in blood. It was their own blood and the blood of the rogues, spread in equal portions. The rogues had all retreated, leading the exhausted Clan cats relieved that the battle was over.

Although he was wounded, Ravenstar managed to pull himself up into the central tree where he could more easily look over the damage inflicted by the rogues. "There don't seem to have been any casualties on either side," Ravenstar remarked. "It also seems like both sides dealt an equal amount of damage to the other. There was no winner in this fight."

"No," hissed Thornstar grimly as he pulled himself into the tree alongside Ravenstar. "There was a winner, and it was the rogues. We outnumbered them, but both sides were evenly matched. Bonetail accomplished what he came here for. He proved that his rogues would be victorious if it ever came to a fight."

Blood was streaked across Otterstar's fur, but she too climbed into the tree. "Despite this, we can't give in to him," she declared. "Our medicine cats are too important to us. We'll have to find another way to deal with Bonetail."

"I agree," added Duskstar. "But for now, we need to return to our Clans and lick our wounds. There's no telling what Bonetail could try next."

Ravenstar nodded. "Yes, this Gathering is dismissed," he declared.

With that, the four leaders returned to the ground and began bringing their warriors together.

As Tidepaw padded over to Rainpaw, a tom ran up to the two of them with a shocked look on his face. "You!" he gasped, pointing at Rainpaw. "You're the one wounded me, the mighty Boulderpaw!"

"So this is the one?" asked Tidepaw. "Strange, he doesn't look very lovesick."

"I-I will have my revenge!" stuttered Boulderpaw before running away in fear.

Tidepaw shot Rainpaw a worried look, and Rainpaw returned it with a shrug. The two friends followed Otterstar off the island and back towards the familiar territory of RiverClan. Tidepaw took one last look back at the island, which was still illuminated by moonlight. _It's a sacred place, chosen by StarClan. Never again should that much blood be shed there._ Then Tidepaw trekked onward, following her Clan.

"When we get back to RiverClan, could I have some herbs for my wounds?" asked Tidepaw.

Rainpaw looked over Tidepaw's fur, then shook her head. "You don't need any," Rainpaw replied. "The only wound you have is the never-healing scar on your head."

Tidepaw looked at her pelt and found that there were no scratches in her fur. She was surprised, but then she brushed the thought aside. Bear probably hadn't done as much damage as Tidepaw had assumed. The pain must have been greater than the wounds received.

Finally, the Clan reached the camp. As they entered, most members of RiverClan headed for their dens, but Tidepaw instead followed Rainpaw into the medicine den.

Inside, Brightpaw was sleeping peacefully as Nightheart watched over her. Nightheart was confused when he noticed the wounds on Rainpaw. "What happened?" he asked.

"A lot," replied Rainpaw as she curled up in her den.

Nightheart sighed as Rainpaw drifted off to sleep. Then Brightpaw cracked her eye open. "How was the Gathering, little sister?" she asked.

"It wasn't what I was expecting," replied Tidepaw, summing it up in as few words as she could.

"You need your rest," Nightheart told Brightpaw. "It'll help you with your disease, and soon you'll be able to get back to your duties."

Brightpaw yawned, then closed her eyes and slowed her breath. Tidepaw gave a nod of thanks to Nightheart before leaving the medicine den. It had been a long night, and she needed to get some sleep as well.

Tidepaw paused for a moment, taking one last glance around the camp. Her gaze met with a pair of piercing green eyes, attached to some figure watching the camp from its highest point. Tidepaw nearly shrieked in shock. Then, as quickly as they had appeared, the eyes were gone. Dismissing them as her imagination, Tidepaw headed to her den. Bonetail had promised to return, and she would need all her strength if she wished to fight him. The war with the rogues was only just beginning.

To be continued…

**Appearances are deceptive. Except Boulderpaw. He really is as arrogant and hot-headed as he acts.**

**I didn't introduce very many RiverClan cats in this chapter, although we'll definitely see what they're like in Tidepaw's next chapter. So, what do you think of Tidepaw? And who do you like more, Tidepaw or Leafkit? Please tell me if you leave a review, and also add any constructive criticism you have.**

**Also, we'll get to see what Leafkit and the WindClan cats are up to in the next chapter. I hope to see you there! (Don't magically appear in WindClan. That would creep me out.) Here's a random tidbit about the WindClan cats. Snowcloud and Tigertail are the kits of Woodfur. Their mother died when she was kitting.**

**Thanks you very much for reading! I'll try to get the next chapter out faster. See you soon!**


	4. Chapter 3 Leafkit

**I'm very sorry about these long waits for my updates, but I'll try to prevent a wait this long from happening again. As well, thank you for continuing to read my fanfic. I'm hoping to make a long, winding tale, and your support constantly encourages me. In this chapter we catch up with Leafkit again. Next time we'll find out what Tidepaw is up to, but her adventures won't be as monstrously long as last time. Anyway, please enjoy the latest installment of Golden Dawn: Lost Sunrise! **

**Chapter 3**

The crisp morning air was cool against Leafkit's fur. Hints of a light breeze had found their way into the nursery, and Leafkit admired how the hairs on her pelt calmly swayed to and fro.

Leafkit had woken early, desperate to hear the events of the Gathering from her father. After rousing herself, she had found that it was before dawn, but she had refused to go back to sleep, fearful that she would rest for too long and not get to see Galeflight until the evening. So instead she waited, anticipating the news that Galeflight would tell her, and the knowledge of the other Clans which she would obtain.

Leafkit scented the air, trying to determine what time it was. Soon, she realized the futility of her actions. The scent of the air outside was hard to read once it had mixed with the familiar earthy scents of the nursery floor, as well as the scent of fresh milk. Leafkit instead focused on her sense of hearing, listening for any sounds of movement in the WindClan camp. By straining to hear, Leafkit could make out the soft sounds of paws moving across the camp, the whispers of cats, and the songs of birds. It was time for the Dawn Patrol to head out.

Leafkit couldn't contain her growing excitement, or her natural curiosity any longer. She rushed out of the nursery and scanned the camp for Galeflight. Her eyes locked on an area just outside the leader's den, where Galeflight was deep in discussion with Ravenstar, Fieldstone, Moorwhisker, Woodfur, and Ivypelt. _Why is Ivypelt there?_ wondered Leafkit. _She's supposed to be in the nursery, expecting Graynose's kits._ With a jolt, Leafkit realized that Ivypelt hadn't been in the nursery when she had awoken. _How long has this meeting been going on?_ Leafkit allowed herself a moment to arrange her thoughts, before scampering over to where Galeflight was.

Leafkit felt a small thrill as she raced towards the group of cats. As a WindClan cat, it was natural to have a love of running, even if Leafkit was much slower than the other kits. "Father, what happened at the Gathering?" Leafkit asked when she finally reached him.

Galeflight's eyes flickered around in momentary surprise. "Oh, Leafkit," he greeted, understanding that his daughter had woken up early. "We're kind of in the middle of an important meeting right now, but I'll have plenty of time to tell you later. Why don't you wait until Hawkkit and Gustkit are up?"

Fieldstone glanced at Galeflight as if he should have been embarrassed, but Galeflight shrugged in reply.

"Maybe when you take the other kits and me out to look around the territory?" Leafkit proposed. If her father was doing something important, she didn't want to interrupt, but she also had to know when he would have time for her.

Galeflight nodded. "That sounds great!" he replied. "I'll give you the news when I show you around WindClan's territory."

Leafkit was satisfied by Galeflight's response, but before she could thank him, Fieldstone cut in to the conversation. "You can't take kits out into the territory!" the orange and white she-cat snarled. "Not with a situation like this."

Leafkit was taken aback by Fieldstone's words. The barely contained fury laced between them hinted at a deeper bond of hatred Fieldstone shared with Galeflight. She prepared to offer Fieldstone an apology, explaining that exploring the territory was her idea and not her father's, but she was cut off by Galeflight.

"I'm sorry Fieldstone, but I made a promise to the kits," Galeflight explained. "I won't break a promise, and I don't accept any excuses." He positioned himself between Fieldstone and Leafkit, as if the angry warrior might attempt to snatch his daughter away from him.

Fieldstone hissed at the ginger warrior. "An excuse?" she snarled, pure rage now seeping into her growl. "So you consider the lives of your kit, and the kits of others, _an excuse_?" Fieldstone slammed her paw to ground, glaring at Galeflight the whole time.

Galeflight nodded to Fieldstone. "I have to keep my promises," he replied. "Besides, if I didn't, they'd just sneak out anyway. Surely it's safer for these kits to have a warrior escort? If you're so concerned, you can tag along and bring Boulderpaw with you. Is that okay, Ravenstar?"

Ravenstar looked thoughtful for a moment, then nodded his approval to Galeflight. "Fieldstone, your duties for today will be helping Galeflight show these kits around WindClan's territories."

Fieldstone was taken aback by Ravenstar's words. "Surely you can't agree to this madness!" she gasped.

Ravenstar shook his head, eyes showing obvious wisdom. "I already have," he told her. Then he turned his head to Leafkit. "Now, run along, young kit," he purred. "The fate of the Clan hangs in the balance."

Leafkit nodded and began to pad away from the group of warriors. As she did, her mind started to churn. _Wait, my safety is at risk? Father is hiding something from me. Does it have to do with what the warriors are discussing?_ Leafkit suddenly realized that she had walked into an empty den. From a quick sniff, she could tell that it hadn't been used in quite some time. _I wonder what this den is for? Maybe I could listen to the discussion and find out what's troubling those warriors._ Leafkit strained her ears, and she could make out some of what was being said.

Fieldstone's meow rang the clearest in Leafkit's ears. "You idiot!" she snarled at someone, most likely Galeflight. "You make a big spectacle at the Gathering, and now this! Do you have some secret inner desire to throw yourself into the closest danger you can find?"

Ivypelt mewed something in reply. Although it was softer than Fieldstone's harsh rant, Leafkit could still hear it through her strained ears. "Please Fieldstone, don't be so harsh on Galeflight," she interrupted, trying her best to sound reassuring. "I know that you don't like him, but you could try to understand that he only does what he thinks is best."

"Like speaking out against the Clan leader?" snapped Fieldstone in reply. "Yes, how noble. Let's get back to our discussion, alright?" Leafkit was shocked. _Galeflight spoke against Ravenstar? But the word of the Clan leader is the warrior code! What did he think he would accomplish?_

Leafkit pushed her warrior to the side, as Ravenstar was beginning to speak. His words were a low growl, and while Leafkit knew that he had said, "Bonetail" and "Ace, the Rogue Hunter", she couldn't hear anything else. _Bonetail? What does he have to do with this? Didn't Moorwhisker's patrol drive him out?_ Leafkit listened carefully, hoping that the response to Ravenstar's speech would reveal the answers to her questions.

Suddenly, Leafkit detected the scent of an intruder in the cave. Leafkit's shock broke her focus, and her eyes flickered to the new arrival. She had been concentrating too hard on the words of the warriors, and hadn't been able to smell or hear a new cat heading into the cave.

"Now, now, young she-cat," Brambletail gently scolded. "You know that kits aren't supposed to eavesdrop on the senior warriors."

Shame came over Leafkit, and she bowed her head. "I'm sorry," she apologized to Brambletail. "I just wanted to know what happened at the Gathering."

Brambletail smiled at Leafkit. "Don't worry," she purred. "You'll learn all about that later today. But for now you should get back to your mother and littermates in the nursery." Leafkit nodded and followed Brambletail as she headed for den where the queens and kits waited.

As Leafkit walked, a question formed in her mind and she asked Brambletail. "Why is that den there anyway?" Leafkit inquired.

"That den?" Brambletail asked. She thought for a moment, then came up with an answer for Leafkit. "In times when the Warriors' Den was too crowded, it was used as an overflow den," Brambletail explained. "We don't have as many warriors now, so it's become disused. Ravenstar has been talking about finding a use for it, however. We might just be able to do something with it soon."

Leafkit nodded to Brambletail as they reached the Nursery. The familiar scent of milk reached Leafkit's nose as she rushed back to her mother and littermates. "Thank you!" Leafkit called to Brambletail.

Brambletail flicked her tail in response as she walked away. "Any time!" the she-cat called back to Leafkit.

Leafkit slowly padded over to her den and crawled in, curling up next to Dovesong, Gustkit and Hawkkit. She suppressed a yawn as her eyelids began to droop. _I'm not tired! I have to wait until the meeting is over._ Leafkit's eyelids slammed shut. _Okay, maybe I'll take a quick rest. But it will only be for a moment._ Leafkit tucked herself in next to her mother and siblings. Sleep overcame her instantaneously.

…

"Hey, wake up, sleepypaws!"

Leafkit felt something pushing her back and forth, shaking her out of her slumber. Leafkit's eyes cracked open, ever so slightly. Sunlight was streaming into the nursery, and she could see Hawkkit standing over her.

"Finally!" exclaimed Hawkkit. "I thought that you might sleep for a moon!"

Shocked out of her drowsiness by Hawkkit's comment, Leafkit pulled herself to her paws. She blinked, then rubbed her eyes with her paws. "What time is it?" Leafkit asked.

"About a few minutes after Sunhigh," replied Hawkkit. "I never knew you for a sleeper, Leafkit. Just how late were up?"

"Um, I fell asleep at a reasonable time," replied Leafkit. It wasn't really a lie. She had only slept so late because she had woken up far too early.

"Sure you did," smirked Hawkkit. "Anyway, at the Gathering, Ravenstar told the RiverClan prey-stealers that they couldn't keep taking our food, and there were reports of Bonetail making trouble."

Leafkit shivered with excitement. _So you're still around, Bonetail? That's good. I'll fight you myself, and then I'll kill you. The only thing an enemy of the Clans deserves is death._ Then Leafkit sighed. "This whole problem with the rogues is undermining the authority of the Clans!" she snarled, slamming her paw into her bedding. "Why can't we just kill every outsider who intrudes on our territory? We could solve so many problems!" Leafkit lashed her tail as images of evil rogues appeared in her mind.

"Because of the warrior code, my dear," cooed Dovesong as she stepped into the den. Gustkit trailed after her, carrying a plump rabbit in between his jaws. Leafkit could sense the joy her brother felt as a result of being allowed to carry the fresh-kill. Dovesong curled up in the nest with her kits, and Leafkit rubbed against her mother's warm white fur. "We won't deprive them of a kindness just because they remain ignorant of it," Dovesong explained as she licked Leafkit's head. "From the fiercest of rogues to the tiniest of kits."

Leafkit bowed her head. "I know that," she admitted, with guilt in her mew.

The sixteenth rule of the warrior code stated, "Outsiders and intruders must also be shown the mercy of the warrior code. Allow them safe passage, and kill only in self-defence." It had been implemented more than three Newleafs earlier, when a ShadowClan warrior had killed two loners, mistaking them for rogues. The rule was made so that senseless deaths such as that one would never happen again. ShadowClan had never divulged the identity of the warrior who had done the deed, but Leafkit understood. The ShadowClan cat could answer to their own conscience. It wouldn't be right for a cat to be forever remembered for a foolish mistake they had made as a young warrior.

Gustkit dropped the rabbit down in the den, and Leafkit sniffed it hungrily. Rabbit was delicious, and as such it was the true prey of WindClan warriors. "After I'm done eating, I can go see father, right?" asked Leafkit. "He's taking me out to explore the territory today!" She felt pride swell her up. As long as Galeflight didn't give a long speech in the middle of the tour, the day would be perfect. She glanced at Hawkkit and Gustkit, expecting an envious response.

"I hope so!" Gustkit pitched in. "Galeflight said that Hawkkit and I could go as well!"

Leafkit felt herself deflate a little. "But I thought, I wanted…" she muttered.

Hawkkit shot a coy grin at Leafkit. "So someone wanted to go without their siblings, did she?" asked Hawkkit. "It's kind of similar to how Eaglekit would much prefer it without Harepaw around, wouldn't you say?"

Leafkit tried again to figure out Eaglekit's dislike of the brooding apprentice as she chewed the rabbit. She couldn't come up with anything, so she gave in to Hawkkit. "Why does Eaglekit hate Harepaw so much?" she asked.

Hawkkit flicked her tail at Leafkit in a teasing way. "You're still so oblivious, my sister," she smirked. "How do you not understand?"

Leafkit grumbled. _You could just tell me these things instead of holding my lack of understanding over me. Would explaining what everyone else knows really be so hard?_ Then she tore off another piece of the rabbit and swallowed it. Leafkit gave a satisfied purr. "All done!" she told Dovesong. "Can I go outside now?"

Dovesong nodded. "You're free to explore, my beloved kit," she told Leafkit. "Just stay safe."

"I will!" promised Leafkit as she darted out of the nursery.

The warm sunhigh air washed over Leafkit, shaking the last bits of drowsiness out of her fur. She surveyed the camp, searching for signs of anything she could entertain herself with while waiting for Galeflight's tour to begin. Leafkit noticed a few cats leaving on a border patrol, Ashfall bickering with the younger warriors, a couple of cats sharing tongues as they ate fresh-kill, and Ravenstar having an important discussion, this time with Emberfoot and Pinefur. "Nothing out of the ordinary," murmured Leafkit.

A light breeze was blowing, and Leafkit decided to see what scents it brought in from the moor. She savoured the smells of heather, rabbits, and earth. Then another scent caught Leafkit's attention. _Another Clan?_ Leafkit shifted her focus to the intruding Clan cats. From the proximity of the scent, she could tell that they were nearly in the camp, so she rushed to the entrance to stop them. _Is that…ThunderClan? I have to alert my Clanmates._

"Invasion!" yowled Leafkit, hoping to put the Clan into high alert.

The ferns at the entrance to the camp began to rustle, and a ginger tom stepped into the camp, a bundle of herbs clasped firmly in his mouth. Leafkit leaped at him, striking him squarely in the chest with her unsheathed claws.

The tom let out a yowl of pain, releasing the herbs, which scattered across the ground. He slumped over on the earth, and let out one final screech before falling silent.

Leafkit dropped into a battle position and snarled. She tried to think of what the warriors of Flamefur's tales would tell an invader, and she quickly came up with something. "I am Leafkit, WindClan's fiercest warrior," she explained. "I don't care who you are or what your reasons are. I will never allow anyone to hurt my Clanmates!" Leafkit felt courage fill her, and she hissed at the tom.

He let out a mew of amusement in response. Leafkit steadied herself, ready for a counterattack. _I can't let myself get too caught up in the thrill of battle. This tom could be lulling me into a false sense of security._ Then her eyes locked onto the ferns, which rustled again, announcing reinforcements for the ThunderClan tom.

A silver tabby tom, who was also carrying herbs, stepped into the camp. Upon seeing his companion splayed out on the ground, he set his herbs down and sighed. "Must you always be so theatrical?" he asked the ginger tom.

The ginger tom pulled himself to his paws and gave a bow to his Clanmate. "Alas, WindClan's fiercest warrior took me by surprise," he explained, gesturing towards Leafkit with his tail. "Snowcloud must have neglected to mention that WindClan was under her protection."

Leafkit felt a rush of pride, and she fluffed up her fur to intimidate the silver tom. "You bet I'm the fiercest warrior ever!" she bragged. "Just watch! I'll shred you both, and then Thornstar will need his medicine cat's help to put you back together!"

"That would be fairly difficult," purred the ginger tom. "After all, I am ThunderClan's medicine cat."

Leafkit dropped out of her battle crouch. "Wait, what?" she asked. "Why is a medicine cat leading an attack on another Clan?"

The silver tom sighed. "It's not an attack, stupid," he snarled. "Honestly, WindClan should keep a better watch over its kits."

Leafkit was confused, but before she could ask any questions, a white tail swept around her.

"Lightningblaze, Sunstorm, I'm incredibly sorry," said Snowcloud. "Leafkit is a rather feisty kit, and she only wanted to protect her Clan."

Sunstorm shook his head, signalling that no apology was necessary. "It isn't a problem," he explained. "I enjoy seeing what the next generation can come up with."

"It's nice to see you, Snowcloud," said Lightningblaze, his tone surprisingly soft. "We brought these herbs for you, although I don't know how useful the ones scattered on the ground will be." He directed his last words at Leafkit, and she had to use all her determination to avoid cowering in fear.

"I'm sorry about that," Leafkit apologized. "I'll help you gather those herbs to make up for it." She pushed the herbs together with her paws, rolling them back into a bundle. Then she gripped the bundle in her mouth and began carrying towards the medicine den. Sunstorm followed, an amused purr pulsing through his body.

When she got to the medicine den, Leafkit pushed through the stored herbs and added her own bundle to Snowcloud's neatly arranged piles. "There, I brought them," she said. "Now I have to go see if Galeflight is ready."

Before Leafkit could leave the den, Harepaw walked it and began coughing. "Harepaw?" she gasped. "What's wrong?"

Harepaw managed to answer her between coughs. "That idiot Boulderpaw," he explained. "After the Gathering last night, he fell into the lake and pulled me in. I'll be okay, but I don't think either of us will be able to go with you."

Leafkit felt a tinge of sadness, but she understood. "Alright," she replied. "Hey Snowcloud, make sure that Harepaw gets better, okay?"

Snowcloud nodded. "You have my word as a medicine cat," she told Leafkit.

Leafkit grinned and headed out of the den. _I can't wait to see the territory. One day I'll be Clan Leader and it will be mine to control, but until then I'll live in it as an ordinary warrior._ Leafkit noticed Galeflight standing with Fieldstone and Hawkkit, so she rushed over to see them.

"Are we ready to go?" she asked.

"Not yet, but it's nearly time," explained Galeflight. "We just need to wait for Gustkit, Eaglekit, and Silverkit. I'm sure they'll get here any moment."

An exasperated sigh slipped from Fieldstone's mouth. Leafkit tried to meet the older she-cat's gaze, but a single furious glare from Fieldstone seemed to banish her courage. "Why did Ravenstar even authorize an excursion so stupid?" asked Fieldstone. "If it needs to happen, couldn't he at least wait until the situation has been resolved?"

Leafkit put her mind to work. _There's another mention of this problem everyone seems so scared of. I'm not sure exactly what it is, but maybe it has something to do with Ace, the Rogue Hunter? I sure wish they'd tell me about these things, but as a kit, I probably don't rank very high on their priorities._ Leafkit sighed and waited for the other kits.

"Are you scared, Fieldstone?" teased Galeflight. "You really don't need to worry. I promise to protect you, and ensure that no harm comes to you."

Fieldstone lashed her tail, sending a cloud of earth into Leafkit's eyes. Leafkit coughed as it hit her, resolving to never make Fieldstone upset if she valued her life. "Why are you so perfectly unbearable?" Fieldstone snarled at Galeflight. "You're always making these promises. Has it ever occurred to you that you might not be able to keep them all? Didn't you ever think that you should care able yourself a little more?"

Leafkit was surprised by the amount of venom in Fieldstone's voice, even though she knew how angry the she-cat was. _Maybe I can ask someone why it's so dangerous out there. Sunstorm and Lightningblaze probably won't be here when I get back, but maybe I can ask Snowcloud? And if not her, Flamefur would probably know._ Leafkit's thoughts and Fieldstone's ranting were interrupted by the sound of approaching pawsteps.

"Sorry if I'm interrupting anything, but Ravenstar asked me to join you on the walk with the kits," Thistlepelt explained. "I was going to go on a hunting patrol with Brambletail, but I suppose protecting the Clan's kits is important. Tigertail can go with Brambletail if he wants to, but I wish I- Sorry, I tend to talk about things that nobody cares about, don't I?"

Fieldstone shot him an emotionless glance.

Thistlepelt hastily bowed his head. "Sorry, sorry!" he stammered. "I did interrupt something important, didn't I?"

Galeflight raised his paw to block off Fieldstone. "You don't have to apologize for anything," Galeflight reassured. "You're Dovesong's brother, and that makes you family, I think. Or at least it makes you, uh, someone who doesn't have to apologize? I'm bad at this."

"Sorry, I need to stop apologizing so much," apologized Thistlepelt.

"He'll only stop apologizing if he stops talking," Hawkkit hissed to Leafkit.

Leafkit was coming up with a reply about how Hawkkit shouldn't make rude comments about their kin, but she was interrupted by the arrival of Gustkit, Silverkit, and Eaglekit.

"It looks like we're all here," remarked Galeflight. "Are you ready to see the territory?"

"Yes!" exclaimed Gustkit as he bounced up and down. "Let's go on an adventure!"

"Without Harepaw, of course," Eaglekit happily added.

Leafkit frowned. _Maybe Eaglekit just needs time to get to know Harepaw?_ She sighed and followed Galeflight as he led the kits out of the camp.

"How did I get dragged into this?" wondered Fieldstone. "Everyone else on this trip is an idiot." Leafkit wished that Fieldstone would explain why the trip was supposedly a stupid idea, but she shrugged and ignored the angry warrior.

The first thing that caught Leafkit's attention when she stepped out onto the moor was the wind. She could feel it running through her fur, and it blew the endless expanse of grass every which way. A few leaves were scattered across the hilly terrain, brought by the wind from the forested territory of ThunderClan. Leafkit looked back at the camp, realizing that what she had assumed to be a stone circle protecting the camp had been earth. WindClan's camp lay inside an incline in the ground, one large enough to contain all of the cats who shared her blood. A rabbit scampered across the ground, but it fled before it was close enough to be hunted. The rabbit had been downwind, and with such a large party of cats, Leafkit had a hard time imagining it not catching their scent.

Silverkit nudged Leafkit. "The moor is pretty beautiful," she observed. "Doesn't being out here make you want to run until you find where the wind is trying to take you?"

Leafkit shrugged at her friend's question. "I suppose," she replied. Leafkit didn't feel like running. Instead, she wanted to study the land, finding the best places to hunt, and areas she could use to ambush invading warriors. She wanted to observe the animals of WindClan, learning their diets, habits, and how to hunt them. She would need to know everything about her Clan's territory when she was leader, and until then, the knowledge would still be very helpful. Leafkit did feel a desire to race through the hills, but she felt a much stronger desire to fight, experiencing the thrill of battle out in the moor.

"Doesn't the moor just seem to go on forever?" asked Galeflight. "I know what you kits are feeling. I've felt it too. From the moment they are kitted until the day they join StarClan's ranks, all WindClan cats have an innate urge to run, letting the wind carry away their worries. But enough about that. How about we go see the lake?"

Leafkit nodded and followed her father as he led their group towards the pool of water she had often heard about. They treaded along across the sloping hills, with Galeflight sometimes stopping to point out something interesting about the environment, Hawkkit sometimes making a snarky comment, and Fieldstone often complaining about being included on Galeflight's excursion. Soon, Leafkit could see hints of something just over a hill. _I have to see the lake. With all the talk I hear, it has to be amazing._ Leafkit broke away from the group, rushing ahead to cross the hill and lay eyes on the body of water the four Clans surrounded.

"Idiot, why aren't chasing after her?" Leafkit heard Fieldstone snarl to her father.

"I'll get her if you want," Thistlepelt offered

"Let her run," replied Galeflight. "The blood of a WindClan cat is a truly fearsome thing."

"I understand," said Thistlepelt. "Sorry."

Leafkit raced over the hill, and she saw the lake for the first time when she scrambled to the top. It was magnificent. The lake was much bigger than she had expected, and it was brimming with clear water, which seemed to sparkle as the sunlight reflected off it. Leafkit noticed a tom by the waterside, so she rushed down towards him.

As she closed the distance between herself and the tom, Leafkit was able to make him out more clearly. He had gray fur, with a few white patches dotted across it. "Hey, are you Ace, the Rogue Hunter?" asked Leafkit.

The tom turned to glare at Leafkit, and she could see that he had icy blue eyes, a white muzzle, and a scratched ear. "A kit?" he hissed. "Tell me kit, do I look like Ace, the Rogue Hunter to you?"

"I don't know," explained Leafkit. "That's why I'm asking you."

The tom sighed. "No, I am not Ace, the Rogue Hunter," he snapped. "I'm one of Bonetail's group. In RiverClan, I was called 'Reedfur', but you can call me 'Slash'. Last night when that coward Frost fled from our group, Bonetail named me his second-in-command. Now then, you'll be coming with me. As a hostage, you'll be useful in the current situation."

Leafkit nodded. "Slash sounds like a pretty intimidating name," she noted. "But since I'm just a kit, nobody actually told me what this 'situation' is. Would you mind explaining how you'll use me against my Clanmates?"

Slash sighed. "I just came here because it's the best spot in WindClan for fishing, and I've already found an annoying WindClan kit?" he muttered. Then Slash's eyes returned Leafkit, who was waiting expectantly. "Sure, I suppose it wouldn't hurt to explain things while I wait for my comrades," he decided. "Last night, before the Gathering started, Bonetail hid some rogues in the island's trees. When your Clans started sharing news, he raided the Gathering, and demanded that the Clans give him their medicine cats within one moon's time. Once I take you as a hostage, your Clan Leader will be more likely to give us the medicine cat. Don't worry, I won't hurt you. I have my own kits in RiverClan."

Leafkit took a few moments to process the information. _Why medicine cats? What kind of evil scheme could Bonetail need herbs to complete? That is, unless his plan is to weaken the Clans by taking their medicine cats? In that case, it's my time to be a hero!_ Leafkit dropped into her battle crouch. "You misunderstand me, rogue!" she snarled. "I'm not just some weakling who's going to come quietly. I'm Leafkit of WindClan, and I've been waiting for the day when I would kill a vile rogue like you!"

"Oh, great," sighed Slash.

Leafkit leaped at Slash, yowling as she anticipated sinking her unsheathed claws into his flesh. Before Leafkit reached him, Slash swung his paw and hit her in the stomach, knocking her out of the air. Leafkit slammed onto the ground, pain coursing through her body. Slash swung his claws at her, but Leafkit was able to roll away and only received a few scratches. _I can't win this fight. When he hit me, I could feel that he's much stronger than me, and he's also quicker than I am. If I had Hawkkit's speed, I could stand a chance, but as I am now, he completely outmatches me in terms of physical ability._ Leafkit pulled herself to her paws, gritting her teeth to ignore the pain she felt. It was time to fight.

Leafkit's eyes locked onto Slash's angry gaze. Slash lazily swung his claws towards her, an expression of boredom coming over his face. Leafkit's blood rushed to her ears as she rolled out of the way of his attack. _He's not even trying! If I try to run, he'll grab me. If I try to fight, he'll beat me. He's so big and powerful that he- Hey wait a moment. He's so big that I could probably fit underneath him. If I could get a shot at his belly, I might stand a chance!_ Slash was advancing towards Leafkit, swiping at her as he got closer. Leafkit knew what she had to do.

Leafkit raced directly towards Slash's claws, causing a look of puzzlement to enter his eyes. Leafkit got a few scratches on her ears as she pushed towards his belly, but she could ignore them as she headed for her goal. However, Slash seemed to realize what she was planning, and he knocked her away with his head.

Leafkit cursed as she was pushed away from Slash's belly. She slid onto the ground, dislodging some of the earth, which was wet from the water. _I shouldn't have challenged Slash. He's superior to me in fighting ability, and he can see all of my strategies as clearly as the whiskers on my face. Maybe it's time to change tactics?_ Leafkit backed away from Slash, hoping to get some space to clear her head.

Slash didn't give her time to think. He swung his claws at Leafkit, trying to slice her before she could put some distance between them. Leafkit skipped backwards to avoid the blow, her paws sinking into the earth as she did. Blood dripped down Leafkit's ears, but it was from the earlier scratches she had received. She had managed to avoid Slash's latest attack completely.

Slash smirked at Leafkit. "You've put on quite a show, kit, but I can tell from trading blows with you that you don't have much fight left," he pointed out. "Give up now, come with me, and I won't have to hurt you any more."

Leafkit was panting. "Alright, you win," she agreed. "I'll come with you if you just give me a moment to catch my breath."

Slash nodded, and Leafkit took a few breaths. It was a good feeling, enjoying the cool air after a battle. There was no more need to fight, so you could have all the time you needed to savour it. But almost every other time, Leafkit had won her fights. _So, I lose? I just give up now, and this is it?_ Leafkit padded towards Slash, who had a smug expression on his face.

As Leafkit was walking, she happened to notice the earth she had dislodged earlier in the battle, and a plan formed in Leafkit's mind. Casually, she dug her paw into the ground and pushed it upwards, sending dirt flying into Slash's eyes before he had time to react. As Slash tried to wipe away the mess, Leafkit accelerated, heading towards Slash's newly exposed belly. _I can do it this time. I can actually land a blow on Slash._ As Leafkit rushed forwards, she began running over how her attack would play out, forming a strategy in her mind.

Leafkit closed the gap while Slash was still struggling to clean his eyes. _Sorry Slash. I bet it will be really embarrassing to have to tell the other rogues that a kit beat you on your first day as second-in-command. That is, if you manage to escape from me with your life._ Blood was rushing to Leafkit's ears as she unsheathed her claws, anticipating her attack on Slash.

Suddenly, something grabbed Leafkit by her scruff and plucked her from the ground. Leafkit cursed herself as she saw white paws beneath her. She had been so focused on Slash that she hadn't been able to sense this cat coming. Leafkit swung her paws around, trying to get in a swipe at the cat who was holding her. It was enough to get the cat to drop her, and Leafkit got a good look at who had interrupted her fight. It was a white she-cat with amber eyes. The she-cat gave Leafkit a friendly grin, despite obviously being her enemy.

"Thanks for saving me, Whitefeather," said Slash as he finished wiping the mud out of his eyes.

"As long as you need saving," Whitefeather replied. Then she turned to address Leafkit. "Sorry about Slash," she cooed. "He's a bit too aggressive. Once I take you back to Bonetail, I can see about getting you some herbs for those wounds, okay?" Whitefeather had a motherly look in her eyes, unsettling Leafkit.

"Wait, you're Whitefeather?" Leafkit asked. "The she-cat who left WindClan to join Bonetail's rogues after giving Graynose his famous scars and ear notch?"

Whitefeather nodded. "The very same," she explained. "You're an observant little one."

Slash stepped up beside Whitefeather, giving her a look of admiration. "But that's not the whole story, kit," he hissed. "Whitefeather and I were deeply in love, but your Clans didn't approve of that. They couldn't see how love could form between two cats in different Clans, so they shunned us. But Bonetail is different. He understands us, and nobody in his group holds our love against us."

Leafkit nodded at Slash. "I know this is normally the time where I'd start offering my sympathy to the bad guys," she pointed out, "but you said you had kits in RiverClan, right? Doesn't that mean you were being unfaithful to your mate when you got together with Whitefeather?"

Slash seemed to grow hot with embarrassment. "H-hey, don't judge me, kit!" he stammered.

Leafkit cocked her head. "But you're a bad guy," she said. "Isn't it my job to judge you?"

"Just-just shut up!" snapped Slash. "I'm not judging you for being a-"

"Get away from her, you filthy rogues!" snarled Galeflight.

"Father!" Leafkit gasped.

Galeflight had climbed over the hill, and he was now charging at Slash and Whitefeather, pure fury in his eyes. Eaglekit was running behind Galeflight, while Thistlepelt was pushing the other kits back. "Sorry that you can't see the lake, but it's very dangerous," he explained. "There are rogues there, and Galeflight is going to save Leafkit from them." The other kits nodded, and walked away from the hill.

Leafkit sighed. _Does this mean I was the only one stupid enough to think that I could take on a rogue?_ Thistlepelt seemed satisfied at the kits' obedience, so he headed down the hill to join Galeflight.

Fieldstone was following Galeflight as well, her perpetual frown even deeper than usual. "I told you so," she sighed. "I am never going to let you forget this, you idiot."

Galeflight managed to reach Leafkit before either of the rogues tried anything, and he threw himself in front of her. "Get back," he hissed. Leafkit nodded and ran back up the hill, with Eaglekit by her side.

Slash tried to chase after her, but Thistlepelt had reached the bottom of the hill, and he grabbed Slash's paw to stop him. Fieldstone walked over to Galeflight and Thistlepelt, shooting them a glance that implied that she would gladly team up with the rogues to hurt them.

"You!" Slash snarled at Galeflight. "You're the one who tried to attack Bonetail last night! I would gladly kill you and that bothersome scarred she-cat, but Bonetail forbids it. Instead, he has changed his terms. Bonetail says that he only wants the Medicine Cats who were appointed before he started his rebellion. You can keep the rest."

"Shut up!" replied Galeflight. "It's not like those terms are any better. WindClan and ThunderClan are still lose their Medicine Cats, while RiverClan and ShadowClan are left with Medicine Cats who are too inexperienced to truly protect their Clanmates. We will never agree to what you want!"

Fieldstone tapped Galeflight's shoulder with her tail. "You don't need to listen to them, Galeflight," she explained. "We outnumber them, so they're not in any position to make negotiations."

"Oh, am I?" asked Slash. By straining her ears, Leafkit could hear approaching pawsteps. In a matter of moments, five more rogues had joined Slash and Whitefeather. "These are Log, Siren, Ben, Sleet, and Iris," Slash introduced. "Now, would you care to partake in negotiations?"

"Galeflight, we have no choice," Fieldstone warned. "We have to-"

"Fight!" finished Galeflight as he leaped forward, grabbing onto Slash and trying to pull him to the ground. Slash and Galeflight wrestled for a bit, but Slash threw Galeflight away and sneered.

"That was actually what I was going to say," mentioned Fieldstone as she slashed at Sleet. Galeflight having similar thoughts seemed to shock her.

Leafkit watched in horror as the rogues began to beat down her Clanmates. They put up a brave fight, but they were outnumbered by the rogues, and seemed to have no chance of winning. Leafkit unsheathed her claws as Slash grabbed Galeflight and held him down.

"I have to go help them!" Leafkit told Eaglekit.

"No, you have to stay safe!" Eaglekit replied as he blocked her path.

She looked back at the fighting cats, and heard Slash snarl at Galeflight. "Give up," hissed Slash. "If we can have the kits, you can leave with your life."

Galeflight smiled up at him. "You still don't understand me," he told Slash. "As long as I can protect those precious to me, there's nothing I wouldn't sacrifice! But just you wait. I'm going to become Clan Leader and change my Clan!" Then, Galeflight's vision locked onto Leafkit and Eaglekit as he noticed that they were still standing on the hillside. "Run!" he yelled.

Leafkit nodded, rolled around Eaglekit, and charged straight at Slash. In response, Slash smirked, released Galeflight, and leaped at her. Leafkit realized that she was making things worse, and mentally berated herself as she braced herself for the impact.

It never came. Before Slash could reach her, Brambletail knocked him out of the air with blinding speed. She cuffed him in the jaw before turning to study her Clanmates. "Are we late?" she asked.

"No, you're right on time," replied Galeflight as he stood up.

Thistlepelt hung his head. "Sorry we got into trouble and needed you to rescue us," he apologized.

Brambletail blushed. "Um, d-don't worry Thistlepelt," stammered Brambletail. "You don't need to apologize to me, okay? A little excitement makes each day all the better."

"I went on this patrol to hunt prey, but I ended up hunting rogues instead," said Emberfoot as he joined Brambletail. Heatherpelt, Tigertail, and Applepaw also came to Brambletail's side. They stood attentively, waiting for the rogues to strike.

Sleet licked his lips as he surveyed the new arrivals. "You've brought fresh blood," he snarled. "This is good."

Slash rose to his paws and motioned for Sleet to stand back. He licked the blood off his jaw and turned to address his group of rogues. "We retreat for now," he barked. "We're outnumbered here, and I'm not even sure that the Clan will trade their Medicine Cat for the kits. This isn't a battle worth fighting."

Slash's rogues followed him as he left, some more reluctantly than others, and they headed in the direction of RiverClan. _It serves those prey-stealers right! They can deal with the rogues for now._ Some of the blood from Leafkit's scratches was beginning to form a crust around Leafkit's ear, but she pulled it off. _So, I actually lost? I guess I overestimated myself. I'm not strong enough to fight the rogues yet. I need to wait until I'm an apprentice._ Leafkit sighed as she licked her fur down.

"I'll carry you if you want," Brambletail offered. When Leafkit responded with a look of surprise, Brambletail added, "It looks like the rogues roughed you up pretty badly. If you were too tired to walk back to camp I would-"

"No, it's fine," Leafkit said. "I can walk back on my own." Brambletail smiled and started to pad over to Thistlepelt, but Leafkit called out to her. "Wait, Brambletail?" Leafkit asked. "In two moons, when I become an apprentice, do you think you could mentor me?"

"It's not up to me to decide," Brambletail responded. "Ravenstar chooses who he thinks is the best cat to mentor each apprentice. But if it were up to me, I'd choose to mentor a she-cat like you. Now, let's get you back home."

Leafkit nodded. _If Ravenstar chooses the mentor for each apprentice, then I'll just have to ask him myself._ Leafkit followed after her Clanmates, heading back home after a day more exciting than she could have possibly imagined.

…

Leafkit sighed as Snowcloud applied cobwebs to her scratches. The creamy white medicine cat had already chewed up some dock leaves and used them to soothe her wounds, and now she was using the cobweb to help them heal. Leafkit didn't understand herbs very well, but she trusted Snowcloud to make things better.

"What's the matter?" asked Snowcloud. "You don't seem very happy."

Leafkit turned her head and met Snowcloud's green eyes. "I thought I was ready to fight those rogues and defend my Clan, but I was less than useless," she admitted. "But, why aren't you afraid? Bonetail wants you and the other Medicine Cats for some sort of nefarious scheme."

Snowcloud's gaze was empathetic, and as Leafkit stared at her she noticed that Snowcloud had a small scar under her jaw. "I'm not afraid because I know that my Clan will defend me," Snowcloud told Leafkit. "The duty of Clan cats is to protect each other, growing strong together. That's what it means to have Clanmates. Likewise, you don't need to worry. You're only a kit after all. You have plenty of time to grow strong and protect what matters to you."

Leafkit nodded. "Thanks Snowcloud," she said. "I guess I just need to train harder. But Bonetail's plan still bothers me. Why does he want to take our Medicine Cats if he's already strong enough to wipe out the Clans?"

"I suppose he thinks it's some form of revenge," Snowcloud explained. "Bonetail had a mate named Fernheart, but she died of unknown causes about four moons ago, on the night of the Gathering. Love and grief are powerful things, and I think that Bonetail is angry with the Medicine Cats for being unable to save Fernheart. Even if his actions are extreme, in a way I can understand Bonetail."

Leafkit thought about Bonetail for a moment. _This is what Galeflight was talking about. He may be a bad cat, but I guess he does have a reason for what he's done. Still, it's not that great of a reason._ "So, I have something I want to confirm," she mentioned. "Bonetail's mate died four moons ago on the night of the Gathering, and a few days later, on the day I was born, he started his rebellion?"

Snowcloud nodded, before muttering, "Fernheart…" For a heartbeat, Leafkit could smell hints of anxiety drifting off of Snowcloud, but they were gone as quickly as they had appeared. Snowcloud gave Leafkit a motherly lick, then smiled at her. "Run along and play now," the Medicine Cat told her. "Just don't be too rough with your younger siblings."

"Thanks!" said Leafkit as she rushed outside, eager to get ready for her next meeting with hostile cats. Spotting Silverkit lying in the sunlight, Leafkit headed over to the outside of the abandoned den she had hid in earlier. "Hey Silverkit, want to do some battle training with me?" asked Leafkit. "I'm going to see Flamefur, but after that I would really like to."

Silverkit cracked an eye open. "Shouldn't you be resting so that you don't reopen your wounds?" she asked.

Leafkit shook her head. "The rogues completely outmatched me, so I'm going to train as much as I can to prepare for my next real battle," she explained.

"Oh, all right," sighed Silverkit. "How long will it take you to go see Flamefur?"

"Not very long," Leafkit replied, then raced off to the Elders' Den.

She stepped inside to see Flamefur lying down, as usual. "Flamefur, would you like to watch me train with Silverkit?" she asked.

"I very much would," Flamefur agreed. "The enthusiasm of young cats is a sight to behold. And speaking of sights, that cat Lightningblaze came by today. I still wonder if what they say about him is true. Did he really-"

The rest of Flamefur's words were lost to Leafkit as she led him out of the Elders' Den. There was training to be done, and when the next battle came, she would be ready.

To be continued…

**Foreshadowing is fun when you have everything planned out to the ending. Tune in next time to meet some new RiverClan characters.**

**I know the point of view characters are pretty well-liked, but what do you guys think of the supporting cast? If you haven't figured it out yet, I really like Galeflight and Snowcloud. I also have a special place in my heart for Ace, the Rogue Hunter and a character named Luna, who won't be showing up for a long time.**

**Thanks for reading everyone. If you have the time, you could leave a review to tell me what I'm doing right and what I'm doing wrong, but I'm perfectly happy if you just read my story without commenting. See you next time!**


	5. Chapter 4 Tidepaw

**Ugh, sorry for the stupidly long update time. Three whole months for one chapter. I thought school would interfere with my schedule, but not this much. Luckily, I have dropped the course that was causing me grief, so not only do I have time to work on this at home again, but I also have time at school. (There was a grammatical error in that sentence, but I'm not sure how to fix it.) Anyway, it's time for the return of the popular Tidepaw! We'll get to see some new RiverClan characters. I tried not to go overboard like I did with WindClan. We'll see how that works out.**

** Chapter 4**

_"Strength and weakness, love and loathing, gain and loss, jubilation and sorrow. We have to move forward, and find what matters. Along the path we take, we are built by those we meet, and that which we find inside ourselves. Young she-cat with the black paw, why do you live?"_

_"Me? I, I choose to live because I want to…"_

…

All four of Tidekit's blue-gray paws were knocked from underneath her. She slammed into the earth, her face hitting the hard ground with a thud. Sighing, she picked herself up and nodded to her opponent. "I guess you win, Wildkit."

The brown tom hopped up and down in a celebratory manner. "Yes! I actually won this time!" he cheered.

This was met with an amused _mrrow_ from their spectator, Rainpaw. "Wildkit, you always win," the gray tabby medicine apprentice pointed out. "Why do you get so worked up when the result never changes?"

Wildkit seemed too excited to bother answering, so Tidekit used her interpretation of things. "The only solid hit I've ever got on him probably hurt his brain instead of his body," she speculated.

"Hey, I'm not stupid!" Wildkit complained. "I planned out our whole battle before it even happened. I mean, sure I got so caught up in fighting that I forgot my plans, but that's an unimportant sort of nonsense."

Tidekit nodded dismissively and began grooming her blue-gray fur. The earth was dry, so not much dirt had found its way into her pelt. Still, her mother Swanwing constantly reminded her about the wonders of a well-groomed she-cat. "Hey, is it going to rain soon?" she asked Rainpaw.

The gray apprentice nodded. "Nightheart says that the shape of the clouds suggests a storm tonight."

"That's good," said Tidekit. "Things are a bit too dry for my liking. We might even get some of the fish back when the storm hits." It was true. The air was stuffy, and it was missing its familiar salty feel. As well, the warriors seemed to be bringing fewer fish back recently, even though they had claimed Newleaf would mean a greatly improved hunting season.

Her grooming complete, Tidekit turned to Rainpaw, who was watching the skies intently. _I can't wait until I become an apprentice. Wildkit's fun to play with, but I really want to train with Rainpaw._

"Why did you have to become a medicine cat?" she asked her friend. "I really wanted to train together when I became an apprentice!"

Rainpaw smiled at her. "Don't worry," the silver she-cat reassured her. "Medicine apprentices get some light warrior training. We'll probably have some time to train together." Tidekit nodded. "But, well, the reason I became a medicine cat is because of a promise I made to myself when I was younger. At the age of three moons, my litter was struck by greencough. I survived, but my brother Scratch wasn't so lucky. I told myself that I wouldn't let anyone else die because of some stupid illness. Overturning the scourge of sickness. That's my chosen path in life."

Tidekit uneasily glanced at her blue-gray paws, shame filling her. "I'm sorry about Scratchkit," she murmured. The words seemed weak.

Rainpaw opened her mouth to respond, but a call from Otterstar cut her off.

"Let all cats old enough to swim through the waters come to the centre of the camp for a Clan meeting!" her leader declared.

Once she was among the gathering cats, Tidekit stood with her mother Swanwing, her father Quailfeather, and her sister Brightkit.

"I'm not too late, am I?" she hissed to Brightkit.

"No, for once you're just in time, little sister," the dusky she-cat replied, a grin breaking across her muzzle.

Tidekit nodded as her leader began to speak. "As you know, our warrior Reedfur turned traitor and joined Bonetail about two moons ago," Otterstar explained. "Well, Silverstripe tells me that he spotted Reedfur and some of Bonetail's other rogues prowling around RiverClan territory earlier this morning. I want you all to be on high alert. Nightheart has reported that herbs have been disappearing from his store, and our own cats could vanish next. Please, stay safe. Thank you." Otterstar nodded her head and flicked her tail to dismiss the RiverClan cats.

Tidekit turned her eyes to Rainpaw. The silver she-cat was sitting with her mother Willowfern, and her littermates, Streampaw and Copperpaw. Willowfern's fur was bristling with the reference to Reedfur. He had been her mate, before he ran off to join Bonetail's rogues.

Tidekit broke away from her family and scurried over to Rainpaw. "Rainpaw! About Reedfur, I'm-" she started, but the silver she-cat cut her off.

"Tidekit, I'm sorry, but the half moon medicine cat gathering is tonight. It's a long walk to the Moonpool, so Nightheart and I have to head off in a minute. Can we talk later?"

"Um, okay." Tidekit agreed.

Rainpaw turned and padded off dejectedly. Tidekit focused on her silver friend until she disappeared into the medicine den. Then the blue-gray she-cat glanced up in the sky, watching the birds soar through the air as the sun set. _I wonder what it's like to fly so freely through the sky. Does Rainpaw ever wonder that? Is there anything I could do to help rid her of the sadness that keeps her from reaching for the sky?_

As Tidekit's eyes fell to her four blue-gray paws, Wildkit moved to sit beside her. "Silverstripe is quite a warrior," he mused. "I wish I could fight like he does."

"I'd choose protecting my friends over killing my enemies," Tidekit replied.

"But through the defeat of the rogues, our Clan is protected!" Wildkit protested. "Come on, can you honestly tell me that you aren't jealous of the other warriors and their skills?"

Tidekit contemplated Wildkit's words for a moment. _The rogues? If I find Reedfur, could that help cure Rainpaw's sorrow?_ Then, after glancing over at her waiting family, she answered the brown tom's question.

"Jealous? Not in the least. I have everything that I could possibly need."

…

_"I have everything that I could possibly need."_

Tidepaw forced open her eyes as someone shook her out of the dream. Sunlight was streaming into her den, and Wildpaw stood over her.

"Come on Tidepaw, spar with me!" squeaked the brown tom, as he energetically bounced up and down.

Tidepaw eyed him up and down. _Everything I could ever need? Those were more innocent times. If only I had stayed true to what I said back then. But I didn't. If my Clanmates knew what I did, I would be exiled, wouldn't I? Or would they kill me, and rid the Clans of another villain?_

"It looks pretty bright out," she noted. "I'm late to waking up too, aren't I?"

Wildpaw nodded. "Mistfur wanted you on the dawn patrol, but I took your spot and let you get your sleep. So to repay my favour, let's do some sparring!"

Tidepaw sighed. It had been eight sunrises since the disastrous Gathering where Bonetail had announced his purpose. _We should be doing something to stop Bonetail. _I_ should be doing something to stop Bonetail. But instead, I'm just sleeping in and being useless. Hunger and rogues. It's a vicious cycle._

Tidepaw stood up and yawned. "Why are you so obsessed with sparring?" she asked Wildpaw.

A multitude of twitches went through Wildpaw's body as he explained it to Tidepaw. "Ever since we became apprentices, you've been winning every one of our fights!" he said. "I want to overcome the challenge you pose. It would be like defeating the thing that's never been defeated. Come on, let's get outside and find some space to have a fight."

Tidepaw followed him outside, where the sun warmed her blue-gray pelt and the bones it weakly concealed. _I might as well fight Wildpaw. If I can make one cat, just one, feel a little bit happier, then maybe I'll have another night without any nightmares._ Tidepaw shivered, recalling the voices that haunted her sleep and her waking hours.

_"Kill me! Tidepaw, please, just kill me!"_

Tidepaw tried to block the voice from her mind. "I, I won't," she muttered, teeth gritted.

"What was that?" asked Wildpaw, turning his thick brown head to face her.

Tidepaw was saved from having to answer when Graywave, her mentor, burst into the camp at full speed. "WindClan is coming!" he yelled to the Clan, then collapsed to the group, breath short.

The cats in the camp instantly snapped to attention, leaping to their feat and unsheathing their claws. Tidepaw followed suit and dropped into a battle crouch, while Otterstar and Rainpaw barrelled out of their dens. There wasn't enough water around for a full battle, but if Ravenstar had only sent a few warriors, RiverClan could overcome them with their numbers.

A plump ginger tom poked his head into the camp. "This is RiverClan camp?" he asked. "That's funny, I thought it would be fishier." He glared at the gathered RiverClan cats. Tidepaw waited tensely, preparing for his attack.

Otterstar advanced towards the tom. "Leave now, and go back to Ravenstar," she told him, voice deep in a snarl. "RiverClan outnumbers you. This is a battle you can't win."

"Oh, that's how it is?" asked the tom. "If you say so. Just let me warn you, the wind is on my side." Claws unsheathed he dropped into a WindClan battle stance, all the while flicking dirt into the air with his tail. Crouched to the ground, the tom was obviously poised to spring.

"Wait, hold on!" yelled a black she-cat, racing into the camp with lightning speed and grabbing the tom by the tail. The tom, embarrassed, raised himself out of the battle stance, while the she-cat sheepishly bowed her head to the RiverClan cats.

"I'm sorry Otterstar," she said, green eyes showing guilt. "We came here in peace. I wished to wait for an escort, but Emberfoot was the leader of the patrol, and he insisted on charging into the heart of your territory." The she-cat's head stayed bent, and Tidepaw could smell fear-scent on her.

_I've felt that fear before. It's the fear of what you could do, and what you've already done. I'm afraid of myself, and what a monster I am._

"_Ragnarok approaches,"_ a voice seemed to whisper in Tidepaw's mind.

For a few moments, Otterstar examined the she-cat with a look of scepticism. Then she nodded and flicked her tail, a signal to her warriors saying that they were in no danger. Tidepaw sheathed her claws, while the cats around her followed suit.

"How many cats did Ravenstar send to see us?" asked Mistfur, RiverClan's deputy.

The black she-cat examined her paws for a moment before replying, "There are four of us here to see you. Galeflight and Rabbitfoot are just catching up."

As she said this, Galeflight and a gray she-cat, presumably Rabbitfoot, padded into RiverClan's camp.

_They're all so plump. Is this about prey? Why does Ravenstar care about that when WindClan has so much that they've become the fattest cats around the lake?_

Galeflight's bright orange fur was damp with water. "Brambletail, Emberfoot, you two are so fast," he commented. "Don't beat me to the Clan leader position."

"I just had to keep this guy in line and make sure that he didn't start a war," Brambletail explained.

"Yet another non-RiverClan cat makes the mistake of believing that he is a fish," Tidepaw murmured to Wildpaw as Galeflight shook himself dry.

The RiverClan cats became noticeably more relaxed. Already, Galeflight was being seen as a hero to RiverClan. The only cat that still showed hostility was Amberfang, Wildpaw's mentor. There was a look of anger in the dark tabby's golden eyes.

Mistfur and Otterstar squared up in front of the WindClan patrol. "Now, with that misunderstanding out of the way, may I ask why Ravenstar has sent you here?" questioned Otterstar.

Emberfoot nodded, taking a moment to scan the camp. There was a hungry look in his eyes, and Tidepaw shrank away as she briefly met his gaze. "I think by now we all know that Bonetail intends us to hand our medicine cats over to him," he purred. "However, this would not be an advantageous course of action. In the midst of this crisis, Ravenstar has had the idea of an emergency Gathering. In three sunrises, when sunhigh has come, the four Clans will meet at the island to discuss how to deal with the threat of Bonetail and his rogues. Bring your most trusted warriors and meet us there."

Tidepaw shivered. The most trusted warriors? She wished she could come, but at seven moons, she was barely into her apprenticeship. "Amberfang," she hissed, "the Clans can't just give up their medicine cats."

"Don't be stupid, apprentice," the tabby snapped back, amber eyes blazing. "We wouldn't trade them away just to make Bonetail more agreeable. Given the choice, the Clans will _always_ choose a battle." His words ended in a fearsome snarl.

"Just testing you!" Tidepaw hastily replied.

She massaged her aching scar as Emberfoot motioned for Rabbitfoot to speak. "Beware!" the gray WindClan she-cat warned. "The danger posed by Bonetail and his rogues is great. On the day after the Gathering, a patrol of rogues tried to abduct one of our kits." She motioned to the other members of her patrol. "I was absent, but these three all bore witness to the event. One of our warriors, Fieldstone, is still recovering from injuries she received during the battle with these rogues."

Next, the black she-cat, Brambletail, began to speak. "That is not all," she explained. "Our patrol visited ThunderClan yesterday, and they reported that one of their apprentices, Mousepaw, vanished mysteriously about two days after the Gathering. The ThunderClan warriors hunted tirelessly for their missing apprentice, but there was no hint of him anywhere in the territory. What they did find was the stench of Bonetail's rogues." The black she-cat bowed her head. "Please!" she cried out. "Please, come. I don't want anyone else to have to suffer." She meekly returned to the back of the patrol.

"Can we expect to see you there?" asked Emberfoot.

Otterstar nodded. "We'll come, Emberfoot," she replied.

"Good," Emberfoot curtly replied. "Rabbitfoot, Brambletail, Ravenstar has more work for us back the camp. We should get going. Now Galeflight," he said, eying the ginger warrior, "you forced yourself onto this patrol because you wanted to see the RiverClan cats. Do what you came for, and meet up with us later."

With that, he led the two she-cats out of the RiverClan camp. Brambletail raised her tail in a salute, while Rabbitfoot called out, "Until we meet again, RiverClan!"

Tidepaw sampled the salty air as the WindClan warriors departed. "What's up, Galeflight?" asked Mistfur.

Galeflight broke into a grin. He flicked his tail, pointing at Tidepaw, Wildpaw, Rainpaw, and Graywave in turn. "May I borrow those four for a few minutes?" he requested. "There's something I'd like to show them."

_Me? Why does he want me? I'm nothing! I deserve to fade away!_

Mistfur glanced at Otterstar for approval. Getting a nod in reply, she smiled. "Yes you may, Galeflight," she said.

"Alright, let's go!" cheered Wildpaw. He turned his gaze to Tidepaw. "You were lucky to go to the Gathering and meet the Hero of RiverClan. But now he's chosen me as well. Come on, let's hurry up."

_And with just a few words, not even meant to offend, you make me hate myself a little more. Sorry._

Tidepaw forced a smile. "Since when was he, 'The Hero of RiverClan'?" she asked. "You make it sound like he's Firestar or something." The legend of ThunderClan's great leader lived on, even though he had died many Newleafs before the oldest of the elders had been born.

"Maybe Hollowstar," replied Wildpaw. He scampered off after Galeflight.

Tidepaw followed him, while Graywave fell in beside her. "Your sister is feeling a little better," her mentor said. "I talked it out with Hollyheart. We'll probably be going on a border patrol later today."

She nodded to her mentor, then examined the path they were following curiously. Traveling across the damp ground took them towards WindClan territory. Surely Galeflight didn't intend to leap them back to his camp?

Across from her, Rainpaw was mumbling under her breath. "Fox dung," the silver medicine apprentice swore. "I need to remember to go get some more tansy later."

The blue-gray apprentice smiled. _You're looking out for us, aren't you, Rainpaw?_

Tidepaw's thoughts were interrupted by the eternal energy of Wildpaw. "So after this, how about some sparring?" he asked, brown eyes blazing.

A chuckle came from Galeflight, and the ginger tom turned to face them. "I have kits back in WindClan," he purred. "Being around you three, it's very much like having them with me." His tail flicked towards Wildpaw. "You remind me of my daughter, Leafkit. She's crazy about fighting and becoming the greatest WindClan warrior ever. That devotion will get you places." He pointed at Rainpaw next. "You remind me of my son Gustkit. You're both pretty quiet and contemplative, but you'll always stick up for a friend." Finally he turned to Tidepaw. "And you remind me of my other daughter, Hawkkit. You're both a bit sarcastic, but you're also very caring. I do say though, you're more sincere than she is."

Tidepaw ducked her head. _Sincere? No, that's not a word that describes me. If you really knew me, truly understood me, you'd hate me too, wouldn't you?_

"Anyway, I should stop rambling on about everything," decided Galeflight. "We are here, after all." He gestured to a small pool of water. It looked like it was lonely, being separated from the lake. Confused, Tidepaw slowly approached it. Inside were-

"Fish!" gasped Wildpaw.

Galeflight nodded, grinning at the four of them. "I had to get up extra early, and I had to find a way to catch fish," he explained. "Believe me, it wasn't easy sneaking these across your border and into a pool so that they wouldn't do, uh, whatever dead fish do. But I promised to help RiverClan out. I _always_ keep my promises."

Graywave flicked his tail in salute to Galeflight. "Thank you," he said. "You truly are a hero to our Clan."

"Aww, it's nothing," Galeflight replied. "Now, I have to get back to my Clan before any of my kits decide to sneak out of the camp again. I trust you guys can find a way to carry five fish?"

"We will," promised Rainpaw.

Galeflight purred. Then, turning around, he darted off towards WindClan territory. "Seeya!" the ginger tom called as he raced away.

"Alright then," said Graywave. "Let's get these fish back to the camp."

…

Tidepaw lay down on the damp ground, allowing herself a little bit of relaxation as the sun began to sink. Beside her, Rainpaw gazed into the sky, oblivious to the outside world. After getting back to the camp, she had spent the rest of the day training in water battle tactics with Copperpaw, Rainpaw's brother. _Water feels so alien to me now,_ Tidepaw reflected. _Is it because of my training, or because of who I am?_

Around her, the camp was abuzz with the news from the WindClan patrol's visit. Tidepaw stood up, allowing herself to be immersed in the gossip of her Clanmates.

"So about those rogues," Skystorm started, "why do they want the medicine cats so much?"

"Bonetail's crazy, he's always been crazy," replied Finflutter. "Like, who else would be out enough to crash a Gathering and show off his stuff?" He cocked his head, attempting to imitate intelligence. He failed miserably.

Skystorm shrugged. "I'm just worried that he'll come after our kits next," she explained. "If they're bold enough to attack WindClan kits, who knows what they could do here?" Her empty stomach grumbled, but she didn't reach into the pitiful fresh-kill pile.

Tidepaw sighed. Galeflight's gift had been enough to give the RiverClan cats a little food, but they would still need much more if they were going to survive. _There's got to be something I can do. Isn't there?_

"There's also the matter of Mousepaw, the vanishing ThunderClan apprentice," Icefang added. "I find it all a little odd. If the rogues have him captured, why wouldn't they attempt to use him in negotiations?"

"Like, maybe Bonetail's to up in the clouds to get his talk on with the Clan cats," Finflutter offered.

Roseblossom shivered. "I, I hope it wasn't Lightningblaze," she worried. "You know what he did."

Suddenly, Rainpaw leaped to her feet, lashing her tail as she snarled. "Shut up about Lightningblaze!" she exploded. "He would never have done that!"

"Wait, hold on!" Tidepaw blurted, putting herself between Rainpaw and Roseblossom. "I don't know what Lightningblaze did, but this isn't the time for fighting. Do you want to weaken the Clan further?"

Rainpaw glanced at herself, noticing her fur sticking up in fury. "I'm sorry," she apologized, bowing her head. "Lightningblaze is a bit of a trigger for me."

Relieved, Tidepaw moved out of the way and began poking at the scar across her forehead.

"Like, how do you have so few clues about Lightningblaze?" asked Finflutter. "You were out of sight a ton in that first moon, but Lightningblaze is a dude with a well-known case."

"What did Lightningblaze do?" asked Tidepaw, ignoring Finflutter's incomprehensible words.

Roseblossom blinked at her, a sympathetic look in her eyes. "He killed ThunderClan's deputy," she replied.

Rainpaw's pelt puffed up, but she made no move to interrupt.

"Why would he do that?" Tidepaw asked, eyes wide.

"Well, it's kind of complicated, and most of this is second-paw, but I'll do my best to make it as simple as I can," said Roseblossom. "Lightningblaze is a senior warrior, but he's never taken a mate. Sandstone, ThunderClan's current deputy, is his brother Earthfoot's daughter, and it's no secret that he loves her like she's his own. Sandstone's dream to become Clan leader, and Lightningblaze was one of her staunchest supporters. Back when ThunderClan's previous deputy, Whisperwing, was still around, another cat called Jaytalon had his sights set on the deputy position. Whisperwing and Thornstar both supported Jaytalon, but he hadn't had an apprentice yet. Whisperwing was getting old, so she planned to retire when Jaytalon had become a mentor, and was eligible for the deputy rank."

Tidepaw nodded vigorously, attempting to understand the information she had been given. "So it was a good old rivalry over who got to be deputy?" she asked, making sure she understood.

"Yes," said Roseblossom, "but this is where things get weird. About five moons ago, Lightningblaze raced into ThunderClan camp and screamed, 'Whisperwing is dead!' Although he claimed that a fox had killed Whisperwing, Lightningblaze was covered in blood. He claimed that the fox had gone after him too, but Dawnfern didn't find a single wound on him when she examined him, and he refused to change his story. On the other paw, Sunstorm's autopsy led him to the conclusion that a fox had killed Whisperwing."

Tidepaw shivered, imagining a cat extending their claws towards a defenceless cat's neck. Blood dripped from their pelt.

"Everyone knows that he did it," finished Roseblossom. "He had a motive, he was at the crime, and the proof points towards him. But Thornstar trusted in Sunstorm, and Lightningblaze still remains with ThunderClan. And because Jaytalon hadn't trained an apprentice yet, Sandstone was the most qualified cat to take the position. Mousepaw was the apprentice eventually given to Jaytalon. If Lightningblaze killed him to deliberately sabotage Jaytalon, then he's someone we need to deal with."

As she finished, Rainpaw cut into the conversation. "It wasn't just Sunstorm who confirmed that a fox killed her," the medicine apprentice added. "Snowcloud got the same result from an autopsy. And it was _the same night her mentor died._ We know for certain there was a fox involved! Mousepaw has always been a small guy. The thought of him out there, lost and hurt, it worries me too. But gossip about Lightningblaze won't help!"

"Rainpaw," Tidepaw teased her friend, "isn't nine moons a bit too young to be falling in love with a senior warrior?"

Rainpaw snarled in annoyance, then stormed off towards the medicine den.

"Rainpaw, I'm sorry!" Tidepaw called out. "I, I didn't mean to hurt you!" Her friend didn't respond.

_There I go again. Useless. Worthless. Nothing. I'm only good at hurting others._

"Hey Tidepaw, come on!" Graywave suddenly called, knocking her out of her thoughts. "We're going on the Dusk Patrol."

…

Tidepaw followed Hollyheart, Graywave, Silverstripe, and Brightpaw towards the ShadowClan border. The sun was dropping from the sky, sending shadows flying across the misty forest. Tidepaw kept pace with Brightpaw, alert in case her sister's sickness flared up.

"It's been a while since we've been on patrol together, hasn't it little sister?" Brightpaw reminisced.

Tidepaw nodded, shivering. _The last time was _that_ day, when Quailfeather died and Swanwing vanished. And then there's that horrid ShadowClan cat, Darkclaw._

"You seem to be recovering, Brightpaw," Tidepaw purred. "Maybe the fish was what you needed. No more dieting to impress toms, okay?"

Brightpaw hung her head. "Tidepaw, do you ever feel like a burden to RiverClan?" she asked.

_Every day. Oh my sister, I'm so sorry about what I did to you. You didn't deserve any of this. You shouldn't have to suffer because of my sins._ Tidepaw shook her head. "Is that what you feel like?" she asked. "A burden? You are no such thing. Even if you feel worthless, just remember that you're my sister, and nothing you do could make me love you less. Besides, you're one of the Clan's best trackers. Without you, we'd be even hungrier than we are now." _It's me who's the burden. I wish I could take your pain from you._

Brightpaw shrugged. "It, it's this sickness I have," she explained, her voice still striking a chord of worry. "I feel so useless, like I'm causing the Clan to starve."

Hollyheart turned her head. "Brightpaw, you aren't useless in the least," she reassured her apprentice. "I've only mentored you for a moon, but I can already see how hard you work and how devoted you are to RiverClan. Just keep following the code, and we'll see where you end up."

Brightpaw shrugged. "I hoped Mousepaw is okay," she said. "He was with Sunstorm when he came to deliver herbs one time. You were out of the camp for some reason, little sister, but Mousepaw seemed like a cool cat."

"He can handle himself, can't he?" asked Tidepaw.

Brightpaw nodded. Then she stared ahead, focusing on something beyond the patrol. Her whiskers twitched furiously, and Tidepaw could tell that her sister had caught the scent of some prey.

"Squirrel," Brightpaw hissed as she took off into the wooded area ahead. Tidepaw smiled. Her sister would catch the exotic prey, thus proving that she was a valuable addition to RiverClan. Maybe things could turn out well, restoring Brightpaw's confidence in things. _I might not be redeemable, but Brightpaw can still learn just how good she is._

Then the screaming started.

Tidepaw instinctively broke into a run, leaving her Clanmates behind. She propelled herself to the border, as if in flight. There, looming over Brightpaw, was Darkclaw. His claws unsheathed, the dark tabby tom had dropped into his battle stance, bloodlust reflected in his smile.

"Darkclaw, she's just a harmless apprentice!" his companion, a mottled brown she-cat, shouted frantically. "There's no need to be so drastic."

"Shut up, Owlflight," Darkclaw snapped. "You can't talk to the Clan leader's son that way. This is an intruder, and it's my duty to teach her a lesson she'll _never_ forget."

It was as if all of Tidepaw's nightmares had come to life. _No! She's innocent._ Snarling, Tidepaw dropped into her own battle stance, a clumsy imitation of Darkclaw's. _That's all I've ever been. A worthless impostor. But I will _never_ let you hurt my sister._

Darkclaw advanced on Brightpaw, grabbing her neck and pushing her to ground. Brightpaw coughed, then shook with a volley of spasms as Darkclaw raised his other paw. Tidepaw yowled, barrelling into Darkclaw before he could deal his blow.

Darkclaw turned towards Tidepaw, eyes lighting up in recognition. "You!" he hissed with triumph in his voice. "It's been too long since we last fought. Show me everything!"

He sprang at her, slashing off bits of fur as he knocked her to the ground. Tidepaw quickly pushed herself away, dodging his next attack. She feinted left, then moved to strike his right side. Darkclaw saw through her ploy, grabbing her as she moved and tearing through her flesh.

"You think that because you know a few of my tricks you can defeat me?" Darkclaw sneered. "You're pathetic!"

He roared, pummelling her with his unsheathed claws. _Ugh. Even against Bear I wasn't this useless. But now, I can't even protect my sister._ Darkclaw kicked Tidepaw. Then he began walking away, triumph reflecting in his step.

_Is that all? How pathetic. Get up, Tidepaw. Stand up and fight!_

Tidepaw leaped up again, racing after Darkclaw. Hissing, she leaped onto his back and bit into his ear. Darkclaw yowled in pain as he warm blood splashed onto Tidepaw's jaws. Next, Tidepaw grabbed onto his scruff and began shaking it, aiming to make the large warrior too dizzy to fight.

Darkclaw roared, raising his unsheathed claws and raking them across her belly. Tidepaw felt the blood leak out of her stomach, and she leaped off of the dark tabby.

He swung his massive claws at her, but she ducked out of the way. She slid across the ground and came to a stop. Darkclaw sprang forward, eyes gleaming.

She dropped to the ground. Too slow. His attack sent her reeling.

_He's too strong. He knows everything I could try. I can't beat him in a fair fight._

Darkclaw turned towards her, smiling as he advanced.

_But if there's one thing I can count on, it's Darkclaw's temper._

"You were mentored by Bonetail, a traitor to the Clans!" she taunted. "And you're turning out just like him!"

This threw Darkclaw off guard. "Hey, you shut up!" he snapped. "So what if that traitor taught me some stuff for a few moons? I'm the Clan Leader's son, and I got taught most of what I know by the Clan deputy. Here, let me show you!"

He snarled and ran forward, his anger getting the better of him. Tidepaw ducked out of the way, raking her claws along his side as he flew by. She smiled.

Darkclaw raced forward again, but he was too hasty. Blood rushing to her ears, Tidepaw began slashing at his muzzle. With Darkclaw's fury awakened, he didn't think about his moves. And thus, he was a weak opponent.

_That's my girl._

Tidepaw dodged a swipe from the dark tabby, moving around to his flank. She leaped forward and bit down on it. Darkclaw screamed. Tidepaw jumped back, spitting fur from her mouth.

A cough from Brightpaw. She moved her head to look. Darkclaw whipped around. Tidepaw gazed at her sister. Distracted.

She slipped.

Darkclaw jumped at her, grabbing her underbelly and driving his claws into it. He lifted her up with one paw, while the other paw was poised to strike at her. Tidepaw could feel his foul breath on her face. He made his move.

Suddenly, Owlflight knocked Darkclaw off his paws, and he dropped Tidepaw before he could hit her. "Stop this!" the mottled brown she-cat snarled. "You may be the Clan Leader's kit, but I will not allow you to murder another warrior."

_Murder. There's always murder._ Tidepaw lay on the ground dizzily.

As she collected her thoughts, the rest of her patrol gathered by the border.

"What happened here?" asked Silverstripe, eyes wide with horror.

Owlflight bowed her head. "Darkclaw went out of control," she explained. "I apologize for his reckless behaviour. Tend to your Clanmates. I have to take him back to the camp to be reprimanded."

Graywave nodded at Owlflight as she departed, Darkclaw in tow. "Will you be alright?" he asked Tidepaw, his voice tense.

Tidepaw nodded. "Yeah, I'm not really hurt," she said. "I can deal with a few scratches. Brightpaw is the one in trouble. You have to help her immediately!"

Graywave moved over to Brightpaw, his jaw dropping as he did. "Silverstripe, Hollyheart!" he barked. "We have to get Brightpaw back to camp right away. She'll need Nightheart to look after all these wounds." The three warriors hoisted up the dusky she-cat, preparing to carry her back to camp.

Tidepaw wanted to join them, but some urge in her made her stop. Glancing down at her blue-gray pelt, she noticed that a patch of blood seemed to come from an uninjured part of her. _My wounds? Is this like what happened with Bear? I have to know, and I won't get a better chance than this._

"I'll stay here and mark the border," she offered. "Then I'll find some tansy. Rainpaw said that the medicine den was running low on it."

Graywave nodded. "Always the responsible one, aren't you?" Then the three warriors started off on their way back to the camp. _Please be all right, Brightpaw._

The shore of the lake wasn't too far away. Quickly, Tidepaw marked the border. Then she ran to the shore, thankful that Graywave had believed her excuse. _Idiot! I'm a terrible sister. I should be making sure that Brightpaw is okay._ But she had to know what was going on. Since the night of the Gathering, she had been troubled by Rainpaw's examination. Now, she had a chance to prove that there was nothing to worry about. After all this was done, she could devote herself to Brightpaw, completely.

Tidepaw stepped onto the beach. Although darkness was settling in, she could clearly make herself out in the calm lake water. She looked over her pelt, paying special attention to the places where Darkclaw had drove his claws into her body. Noting that her fur was disturbed in those areas, she sighed in relief. _I'm just imagining things after all._ Before she went to rejoin her Clanmates, Tidepaw took one last glance at her reflection.

There were no wounds.

Tidepaw gasped. _No, this can't be right._ But she looked over her pelt and at her reflection. The wounds Darkclaw had given her were gone, as if her fight with him had been erased from memory. Horrified, Tidepaw looked over her underbelly. She ran her paw through the blue-gray fur that had been stained with blood. Although the blood remained, she again found that her wound was gone. _What am I? What's happening to me?_

Behind her, rustling grass announced a newcomer on the shore. She whipped around, snarling at this intruder.

"Whoa, lady, hold on!" exclaimed a golden tom as he leaped away from her. From his size, Tidepaw could tell he was a kit. _Lady? What does that mean?_

"Are you lost, little one?" she asked. "Do you need my help to find your parents?"

The kit shook his head. "No," he replied. "I'm here because he sent me to find you."

_Why would anyone want to find me? I'm nothing._ "He?" asked Tidepaw. "You mean, your father?"

"No, my master," said the golden tom.

"Bonetail?" she asked, perplexed by the strange tom.

"No," said the tom, shaking his head again. "Sorry, I must be really confusing you here. My master is the wishgranter. He's nobody you would know. He sent me here so that I could see the power you have. I think he'll be happy with my report."

The tom turned to leave, but she called after him. "Wait! Who are you, and what's this power you want?"

The kit laughed, walking up to Tidepaw and placing his golden paw on her black paw. "My master calls me Jester," he explained. "You can too, if you want. I can feel it in you. You're troubled, aren't you?" She nodded, and Jester smiled at her. "Don't worry," he continued. "My master is very interested in you, and that means you have a great destiny! You can let fear be a thing of the past." He gazed at her enviously, his large green eyes becoming somber. "Everything will be alright. But, you'll always remember your Clanmates, right? So, if it isn't too much trouble, please protect her for me."

She nodded, not even understanding what Jester meant. "I'll protect her."

Jester's eyes brightened. "Thank you, miss Tidepaw!" he exclaimed. "Now I know that everything will be just fine. Until we meet again, I'll be waiting." He turned and rushed off, away from the shore.

"How do you know my name?" Tidepaw called after him.

It was no use. Jester had gone, leaving a very confused blue-gray she-cat alone on the shore.

…

Tidepaw stumbled into the camp, mouth full of tansy. Glad that the tedium of collecting it had come to its conclusion, she headed towards the medicine den. As she walked, Finflutter burst out of the den and ran off towards the Warriors' Den. "Stay out of our catmint!" Nightheart shouted after him.

_Why would Jester trust me with protecting anything? I'm useless. I couldn't even help my sister._

"What took you?" someone snapped. Tidepaw flinched, dropping the tansy. It was Amberfang who approached. "Don't you know that the rogues are prowling around?" he snarled. "It's too dangerous for an idiot like you."

"I didn't see you collecting herbs," Tidepaw retorted.

The large tom sighed. "Whatever," he said. "I'll take the herbs in. You'd just waste time chatting with Rainpaw. Tomorrow, Otterstar wants _me_ to train you, and I'm not as soft as Graywave." Tidepaw shrugged as Amberfang grabbed the herbs and stalked off.

She headed towards the Apprentices' Den, moved slowly as if dragged down by an immense invisible weight. Although she was ravenously hungry, Tidepaw ignored the fresh-kill pile.

Graywave was waiting for her at the entrance to the den. "How bad are Brightpaw's wounds?" she asked him.

Graywave smiled. "Don't you worry," he replied. "Her injuries looked bad, but she's going to be fine. You got there before Darkclaw could give her any serious wounds. Nightheart even said that she could sleep in the Apprentices' Den tonight. Anyway, Otterstar wanted Amberfang to train with you tomorrow, so I thought I'd let you know."

She nodded. "I knew that, but thanks."

Graywave turned to go, but Tidepaw stopped him. "Graywave," she asked, "have you ever heard of a cat that could grant wishes?"

Her mentor was still for a moment. Then he slowly shook his head. "I've heard of a cat named Arise who grants power to those who can find him," he explained, "but I've never heard anything about a cat granting wishes. What were you going to wish for?"

"It's nothing," said Tidepaw.

Graywave nodded before leaving for his den. Tidepaw padded into the Apprentices' Den. There, Brightpaw was curled up comfortably, a contented look on her face. Tidepaw crawled into the nest beside her, careful not to wake her sister as she settled down in the moss.

_Me, protecting something? Maybe I have a chance to start over. I wonder…_

A brand new day was coming.

**To be continued…**

**This will cause some speculation.**

**Thanks for reading! If it isn't too much trouble, I would like it if you posted a review. It makes me happy just knowing that people have read my story, but it's also fun reading their feedback and learning the ways I can improve. If you have a question about my story, post it and I'll do my best to answer in the next author's note. (Unless it's a spoiler. Then I'll just tell you to look forward to it.) And if you have a theory, you could post it here and bask in the glowing of calling it if the thing in question is confirmed.**

**So, next time you can look forward to meeting the third of the point of view characters. The chapter might even be done next weekend! Wow, that would be amazing.**

**Thanks for reading!**


	6. Chapter 5 Darkclaw

**At long last, we get to see the third main point of view character, Darkclaw. This chapter was generally fun to write. You would not believe how useful _The Forgotten Warrior _is for reference. It's like, the best book ever. Anyway, let's see if you're prepared to understand Darkclaw after what he did to Tidepaw and Brightpaw. His story is a complex one. I hope you enjoy his first chapter. **

**Chapter 5**

The warmth of the sun spread around the Gathering Island as cats from all the Clans filed into the clearing. Among the ShadowClan cats stood Darkclaw, the Clan Leader's son. From his vantage point beside Toadclaw, Darkclaw studied the myriad group of cats from other Clans. He knew that he was naturally superior to the other warriors, but it never hurt to watch out for cats that he may one day face on the battlefield.

"You're looking well, Darkclaw," someone said. "At least, as well as a ShadowClan tom with a distaste for grooming can look."

Darkclaw eyed Snowcloud, the newcomer who had teasingly spoken these words. As always, his friend had caught him unawares.

"I didn't think WindClan medicine cats would be in any position to judge," he replied to the pretty white she-cat. "All day you sit around and get yourselves covered in herbs."

She smiled at him, green eyes sparkling. Then she noticed his injuries and gasped. "What happened to your ear?" she asked, concerned.

"Tidepaw happened," Darkclaw grunted. He continued scanning the island. If Bonetail had plans for this Gathering, he didn't want to be caught off guard.

Snowcloud nodded, understanding dawning on her. "I met Tidepaw at the last Gathering," she mused. "She's a pretty cute cat. I never imagined that she would be so violent."

Darkclaw shrugged. "Cute? Well, that's certainly not a word I would use to describe her."

Darkclaw hated Tidepaw. He knew it was an illogical type of hatred, one that the Clan Leader's son shouldn't hold onto. And yet, he nurtured it, letting it blossom into fury against the hapless she-cat. She could take it. He knew that Tidepaw had managed to force some fighting skills through her thick skull.

He snorted, then changed the subject. "So, are you thinking of taking an apprentice?" he asked.

Snowcloud grinned mischievously. "Why Darkclaw, my good friend, I'm far too young and pretty to start giving away my trade secrets to some kit," she teased. "Although, if you would care to teach me how to be old and cranky, then I might consider getting one of them, just so I'll have someone to snap at."

"Nice excuse," replied Darkclaw. "But we all know that you don't want an apprentice so that you don't outpace your best friend, right?"

Snowcloud shrugged. "In all seriousness, I don't feel like any of the kits are right for the job," she explained. "This one tom, Gustkit, seems to have an interest in herbs, but his wits don't seem sharp enough for my kind of work." She relaxed visibly, smiling. "Gustkit, Hawkkit, and Leafkit are Galeflight and Dovesong's kits. The three of them really are adorable! You should see them playing sometime."

Darkclaw scooted away from Snowcloud. He bumped into Toadclaw, who hissed in annoyance. "You're so annoying when you act bubbly!" he snapped. "Anyway, I don't have time to gawk at kits. I'm going to get my own apprentice, and show my Clan what a great warrior I am."

Darkclaw looked up at Duskstar, who was focusing on the Clan cats intently. He wished with all his heart that she would glance at him and acknowledge his presence, but she didn't even look his way. _I just need to get an apprentice. Then when Redclaw retires, you'll make me deputy. Right?_

Duskstar hadn't actually stayed in the nursery to raise Darkclaw and Cherrynose. That would have been stupid. Instead, she'd stopped her milk with parsley and another queen, Lilymist, had raised them.

Darkclaw sighed. He'd desperately wanted his mother to say something to him, but it looked like he would have to wait until later for that. She hadn't even chosen him to come to the emergency Gathering. Redclaw had been the one to pick which warriors would come and discuss Bonetail's threats.

"So how have things been working out back in ShadowClan?" Snowcloud asked.

Darkclaw shrugged. "Same as always, I suppose," he told her. "I don't need supervision now that I'm a warrior, but it forces me to make extra time for training. Most of my Clanmates are fine. There's this one kit called Hopekit that bothers me, but I can ignore her. Really, Bonetail's rebellion is the most exciting thing that's ever happened around here."

"Would you two young mates shut up and wait for the leaders to speak?" snapped Toadclaw. "Your chatter is getting on my nerves."

"Mates?" Darkclaw questioned the senior warrior. "No way! That would break the code in so many ways."

"I'll just move away from this youthful chatter," sighed Toadclaw, padding off to where other ShadowClan cats were conversing.

Darkclaw turned back to Snowcloud, happy to finally have some privacy with the white Medicine Cat. As always, his wishes were immediately disregarded by some stupid cat from another Clan.

"Excuse me!" a she-cat screeched. "My name's Risingleaf. Would you mind if I sat there and looked over at the other cats?"

"Sure, come right ahead," Darkclaw reluctantly growled, encouraged by Snowcloud's prodding tail. Risingleaf excitedly padded up the slope to where Darkclaw and Snowcloud were perched. She plopped down in an incredibly irritating manner.

"Wow, I can see all my ThunderClan Clanmates," the she-cat giggled.

"Show a bit more respect to me," Darkclaw hissed at her. "I'm the Clan Leader's son."

Wind whipped Risingleaf's fur around as she momentarily considered him. "Oh, you're the fighting guy!" she exclaimed. "I've talked to some of your Clanmates, and they say that you won't shut up about battling or the rights you should have as Duskstar's kit." Darkclaw roared and leaped at her, claws unsheathed. She gracefully skipped out the way, smiling. "I guess your fighting skills have been vastly overstated."

Darkclaw fumed, but he pulled himself together. If Risingleaf really started to bother him, he could always invoke the Law of Lionblaze. It was an ancient rite that allowed a warrior to challenge a cat from another Clan. If the other warrior, and both of their Clan Leaders, agreed, the two would meet in one-on-one combat. This was usually used when cats felt that their honour had been disgraced.

"You two, the leaders are starting to speak," Snowcloud whispered.

Darkclaw snapped to attention. The deputies, Mistfur, Redclaw, Sandstone, and Woodfur, had taken their places beneath the tree. Meanwhile, Thornstar, Duskstar, Ravenstar, and Otterstar each occupied a branch on the majestic oak at the centre of the island.

Ravenstar began the Gathering. "By now, we have all been informed of Bonetail, and his ravenous desire for chaos," he declared. "He claims that he will stop his insane quest if we give up our Medicine Cats. I have called this Gathering to discuss those threats. Please, all of you share what is on your minds." He nodded his head, gesturing for any cat that so desired to speak out.

From the clearing, the ShadowClan she-cat Creamfur declared, "We must not give in to Bonetail. The medicine cats are our link to StarClan. They are the heartbeat of the Clans."

"Instead of giving up, we can do as we have always done and fight!" suggested Jaytalon, a ThunderClan tom.

"Bonetail proved his strength to us during the Gathering battle," protested Badgerclaw. "Perhaps we could find a solution that does not involve bloodshed?" Darkclaw glared at the lean WindClan tom as he finished speaking.

The RiverClan she-cat Scaleshine was the next to speak. "Are you suggesting we give up?" she snarled. "RiverClan cannot afford to lose Nightheart. Even if we could, we aren't snake-hearted cowards who would forsake a Clanmate to save ourselves."

"Of course he wasn't suggesting that!" snapped Pinefur. "WindClan are not foxhearts or filthy prey-thieves! We will defeat the ShadowClan menace Bonetail."

"ShadowClan menace?" roared Toadclaw. "Look at yourselves! Cats from all the Clans have joined Bonetail in his mad ambition."

Darkclaw perched on the hill, taking in the words of every cat. _There are so many weaklings among the Clans, so many idiots. In the end, Bonetail will be mine to fight. I vow to finish him._

"Perhaps we could enlist the help of Ace, the Rogue Hunter?" offered Mistfur, the RiverClan deputy. "I mean, this cat managed to fight Bonetail's rogues and did some serious damage."

Ravenstar shook his head. "It's not good," he said. "Don't you remember what Bonetail said at the Gathering? He gave up the battle with my warriors so that he could catch us by surprise later that night. We've only heard of Ace, the Rogue Hunter from the mouth one of Bonetail's rogues. We don't know how well Ace fights, or if he was injured during his battle with the rogues. For all we know, Bonetail could have made Ace up so that my warriors would have an explanation for their easy victory."

"Really?" asked Mistfur. "Doesn't that seem a bit too elaborate for a heat of the moment plan?"

Ravenstar shrugged. "Don't you know how I got to be leader?" he asked. "It's the same reason Bonetail was such a celebrated warrior before he betrayed ShadowClan. Battle tactics. I know all there is to know about misdirection."

"Excuse me!" someone called out, stepping to the centre of the clearing. It was Sunstorm, ThunderClan's medicine cat. "Would you mind if I gave a medicine cat's view on this?" he asked.

Ravenstar nodded to the ginger tom. "I called this Gathering so that all could speak," he said. "Bonetail's plans concern the medicine cats more than most, so it's only fair that you say what's on your mind."

Sunstorm let out a relieved sigh as he faced the gathered cats. "Bonetail's insanity threatens us all," he declared with a determined look in his eyes. "He has made his demands known to the Clans. However, that does not mean that all his requests need to be fulfilled. Perhaps if I give myself up, he would pardon the rest of the medicine cats? I've lived a good life, and Dawnfern has grown into a fine cat. I'm willing to fall, if it means that everyone else can prosper."

Thornstar beamed at his medicine cat. "Truly ThunderClan is blessed by such a noble cat," he said. "If only the other Clans had warriors willing to make such a sacrifice."

Beside Darkclaw, Snowcloud guiltily nodded. "Thornstar is a terrible leader," Darkclaw snarled, fur sticking up in fury.

"Why?" asked Snowcloud. "Because of his blood?"

"I couldn't care less about him being a halfClan," Darkclaw snapped. "His medicine cat is a kittypet, but he has the respect of all four Clans. The only cats that deserve punishment for the birth of a halfClan are the code-breaking parents. No, Thornstar is weak at heart. He's too easily swayed by even the smallest amounts of force."

Beside him, parts of Snowcloud's fur were starting to stick up, and Darkclaw could smell light fear-scent on her. "Don't worry," he reassured, draping his tail over her sympathetically. "I'll protect you from anyone who tries to hurt you." Snowcloud nodded, glancing at him with her beautiful green eyes.

"Enough of this!" roared Pinefur. "ThunderClan is the only Clan that has two full medicine cats. WindClan only has one. Don't just stand there acting superior to us all."

From somewhere in the crowd, someone shouted, "HalfClan!" Thornstar flinched at the remark. More voices joined them, and more insults were added, directed at many cats on the island.

"HalfClan!"

"Kittypet!"

"Prey-thieves!"

Darkclaw glowered. _Idiots, all of them._

"Enough!" snarled Duskstar. She leapt out of the thick oak, fur bristling with rage. "ShadowClan, to me! We're not wasting any more time here at this pointless Gathering. The other Clans can squabble. We'll just prepare to fight, as we always have."

Darkclaw nodded as he padded down the incline. They would leave this worthless meeting and do something meaningful. The other cats could just fester like foxdung.

As he followed his Clan, Darkclaw took one last glance to survey Risingleaf. If they were going to meet on the battlefield some day, he wanted to be prepared for her.

…

Darkclaw woke before dawn. He was a warrior now, so he needed to use the time before daybreak to hone his fighting style. While his mother often had Redclaw organize training exercises for the warriors, it wasn't quite the type of training Darkclaw liked to focus on.

He padded out of the Warriors' Den, smiling to himself. Nearby, Owlflight was scratching the earth furiously, a determined look across her face.

Darkclaw felt anger flare up, directed towards the she-cat. He knew that he was being selfish, wanting the early morning hours to himself. But still, it was supposed to be his time. He had always used this fleeting time before daybreak to do as he pleased while other cats slumbered.

"What has you up so early, Owlflight?" he asked the mottled brown she-cat.

Her whiskers twitched in amusement. "Redclaw asked me to work on some battle strategies," she explained. "You know, because of Bonetail. Feel like lending a paw?"

Darkclaw considered her for a few moments. She was acting sincerely, for once. "No, I don't want to help with your stupid tactics!" he snapped. "Why do we need a strategy when we can just fight?"

"We need the strategies so that we don't fight like disorganized rogues," Owlflight pointed out. "You were so cute when we were kits, Darkclaw. Now you're angry all the time. It's really off-putting."

Darkclaw growled, lashing his tail across the cold earth. "You're just a nosy she-cat," he snarled. "Why would I care about you? I'm going to train, like a true ShadowClan warrior. See you later."

He stormed off into the shadowed forest, furious. _This is my time! Why does some obnoxious she-cat have to ruin it for me?_

Darkclaw arrived at his destination, a birch twenty foxlengths higher than all those surrounding it. Smiling, he dropped into his battle stance. He let his perception of time blur and fade as he unleashed a volley of kicks, bites, and claw slices. The Gathering three days ago had been a failure, but that didn't hurt him. He'd been training, day after day, so that he might be able to fight Bonetail himself and prove his worth. Out here, with only himself for company, he could turn his rage into strength.

After finishing his usual routine, Darkclaw decided to try out a ThunderClan moved that he'd witnessed on a few occasions. Dropping into a crouch, he stalked across the ground. Then, claws unsheathed, he exploded forward, screaming a war cry as he landed. It felt incredibly satisfying. Snowcloud's words came back to him, and he gave his pelt a little lick while he planned his next course of action.

"Do you mind?" called a voice from up above. "Some of us are trying to sleep." A lean tortoiseshell and white tom dropped from the tree, landing ungracefully on the ground. His pale yellow eyes glinted as he saw Darkclaw.

Darkclaw growled at the strange tom. "You're a rogue, aren't you?" he hissed. "I'll put you in your place!"

"A rogue?" asked the tortoiseshell, eyes widening with curiosity. "You wouldn't happen to mean one of those filthy cats serving Bonetail, would you? Oh no, I'm afraid I am but a humble traveler. I could never work with that self-righteous tom Bonetail."

Darkclaw dropped into his battle stance. "Rogue or no rogue, you're still going down!" he declared, teeth barred.

The tom sighed wistfully. "Always so quick to break your own warrior code, aren't you?" he asked. "Oh well. But then, I wouldn't advise that. If I'm not mistaken, you're Darkclaw, the Clan Leader's son, right? My name is Arise, and if you're interested in fighting the rogues, I have quite the proposal for you."

Against his better judgement, Darkclaw nodded. "Okay, go on," he said. "Pretend that I'm interested in what you have to say."

For a moment, Arise's face betrayed a smug grin. Then, just as quickly, he snapped back to his icy calm. "There's a swamp nearby where Lionblaze is said to have waged a legendary battle," he purred. "Some say that it was ShadowClan's camp before the storm of the Echo Wars came."

"Okay, okay," Darkclaw interrupted. "We've all heard these stories from the elders. Just get on with what you have to say."

One of Arise's whiskers twitched irritably. "If that is what you wish," he agreed. "I have met with Bonetail before, and though he does follow the trail I leave for him, he still poses a bit of a threat to me. I'll do what I can to get some of his rogues to pay a visit to that swamp at sunhigh, in two sunrises. Who knows? I might even get Bonetail himself to go there. Then, you can go and fight just like you want to."

Darkclaw nodded. Ignoring a flicker of movement from a nearby bush, he considered Arise's proposal. "And if I refuse and kill you now?" he asked. "What avenger will come to smite me? Or, what if I sense a trap and don't go?"

Arise chuckled heartily. "Oh, you'll go, Darkclaw," he stated. "Your resolve to resist me will shatter under the weight of your bloodlust. Everything ends eventually, Darkclaw. Even you and ShadowClan. Besides, if we were to fight, I would be the one left standing."

Darkclaw grunted, shrugging. "Okay, I'll play along for now," he decided. "But Arise, don't think that you, or anyone else, can control me. I'm the Clan Leader's son. I make my own destiny."

"I'll allow Destiny to decide if you really are her master," Arise purred, as he turned to leave. "Now if you'll excuse me, I have a meeting to keep, and then there are things to do upstream."

"What sort of things upstream could be more important than the Clans?" Darkclaw called after him.

Arise gave another irritating chuckle as he walked off. "Many things," he called back. "This world is a lot larger than you're determined to make it out to be, Darkclaw. Keep your eyes on your Clan in the coming days, my naïve young warrior."

With that, he vanished into the deep expanse of undergrowth. Darkclaw shrugged, turning back towards the camp. He headed home, leaving the idiot tom to his own machinations.

…

Rays of the sun were finding their way through the thick thorn wall and into the ShadowClan camp as Darkclaw strolled in. _Did I spend too much time training? No, there's no such thing as too much training._

With Arise's words still fresh in his mind, Darkclaw padded over to the Leader's Den. Sootstain, a fluffy white tom with black patches, stood guard. "I'm sorry, but Duskstar is in the middle of an important meeting," he explained. "No one is to disturb her during this time."

"I'm her son!" protested Darkclaw. "Who could be more important to her than me?" He tried to push his way in, but the larger tom blocked his path completely.

"You're incredibly arrogant some times," the senior warrior snapped. "You just have to learn that sometimes the safety of the Clan comes first."

"Whatever then," sighed Darkclaw. He marched off towards the Medicine Den. _Is it arrogant of me to want the she-cat who birthed me to give a simple sign that she loves me? At least Foxwhisker will listen to me._

In the Medicine Den he found Stonepaw hunched over a grumbling Newtfoot. "You're early today, Darkclaw," Stonepaw chirped. "Did you injure yourself again during training? I'll be with you as soon as I redress Newtfoot's wounds. She got scratched up quite a bit during the ThunderClan border skirmish last night."

"No, I did not hurt myself during training," Darkclaw hissed venomously. "I never get hurt in my training, so you can just shut up about that. I'm looking for Foxwhisker. Are you going to keep wasting my time or will you tell me where she is?"

The gray tom flinched, accidentally plunging his claw into one of Newtfoot's wounds. Newtfoot howled in pain, shaking off the medicine apprentice's carefully applied wrappings.

"Agh, no, didn't mean to do that!" Stonepaw hurriedly apologized. "Foxwhisker left me in charge for the first time and I screw up already." He nervously gathered up his herbs in a pile and let out a guilty sigh.

"Start over, apprentice," snapped the now calm Newtfoot. "Just don't try to kill me this time."

Stonepaw nodded. "Foxwhisker is collecting mallow leaves at the edge of the lake," he hissed to Darkclaw. "We used most of ours up on Hopekit's bellyache, so there's restocking to be done. You okay with that?"

Darkclaw glowered and shook his head. _If I go to see her, she'll just drag me into helping out. I'd rather catch her when she doesn't have work she could force upon me._ "When will she be back?" he asked.

"She said that she'd return at Sunhigh," Stonepaw explained. "There are some other things she needs to take care of today. Speaking of that, would you mind taking this to Blossomspots? I'm worried about her getting a fever when she's so close to delivering her kits." He pulled a sprout of lavender out of the ivy leaves that the ShadowClan medicine cats used to store herbs.

"Foxwhisker specifically ordered you to get me to take this to the Nursery?" Darkclaw asked as Stonepaw rolled the lavender between his paws.

The gray medicine apprentice nodded solemnly. Darkclaw reluctantly accepted the lavender, clutching it carefully in his mouth. As he left the den, sounds of the medicine apprentice and his patient followed behind him. "I'll give you some poppy seeds for the pain, and then we can start again."

Darkclaw padded through the camp, observing his Clanmates. They were sharing tongues, just like every other day. Even Sootstain was relaxing, which signalled that Duskstar's meeting was over. _Duskstar probably still has work to take care of and Foxwhisker is a piece of lizard-dung. Maybe the queens will have the information I need._

The dark tabby entered the Nursery, pleased to find that none of the kits were there. They were annoying little furballs. Blossomspots was having a conversation with Webnose, likely about some mouse-brained mothering tips. Not wanting to have his time wasted, Darkclaw stepped between the two, interrupting them.

"Stonepaw forced me to give this to you," he growled, dropping the lavender. "It's so you don't get a fever while carrying those kits."

"Oh, you don't need to worry about me," Blossomspots cooed. "Stonepaw worries too much. I feel just find. But if you insist, I'll take the herbs. There's no use in getting an earful from Foxwhisker." She smiled and scooped the herbs into her nest.

Darkclaw grunted. Blossomspots could do what she wanted. He wasn't a medicine cat, so it didn't affect him. "Where are Hopekit and Blazekit?" he asked Webnose, worried that the two would spring out of hiding to bother him.

"I got Tangletuft to watch them while I gave Blossomspots some advice," she explained. "He can take responsibility for our kits once in a while."

Confident that he wouldn't be bothered, Darkclaw decided to ask his question. "Have either of you ever heard of a tom named Arise?" he asked.

Webnose looked confused. "Sorry, but I don't think my whiskers have caught his name before," she apologized. "Perhaps it has something to do with the Echo Wars? You could ask the elders."

Darkclaw shook his head vigorously. "The elders have told me that story more times that I have hairs on my pelt," he explained. "I'll have to look elsewhere."

"You could always ask Foxwhisker," suggested Blossomspots. "She takes a particular interest in obscure knowledge."

"I'll try it," Darkclaw grunted, padding out of the Nursery. _Well, that was as useful as a dead fox. In the end, it all leads back to that mangy old she-cat._

He pushed his way through the large bush hiding the Nursery from any predators who got the idea to attack the camp. As he did, he was ambushed by an annoying, white she-kit with green eyes.

"Oh my frog, Darkclaw!" she exclaimed. "Look, I found a frog!" She skipped about around him, gesturing to a half-eaten frog.

"Great StarClan Hopekit, that's crowfood!" Darkclaw gasped. He plucked the white she-kit into the air, then dropped her at a safe distance from the deadly meal. "You're not supposed to eat that! Stonepaw said that you had a bellyache last night. This is the source, isn't it?"

Hopekit guiltily looked at her paws. Then she perked up again. "Oh my frog, you are such a scaredy-mouse," the she-kit chided. "I found the slain frog in the forest. It wouldn't be right to frogkind if I neglected its sacrifice. Besides, the Winds of Death tell me that I'll be fine."

Inwardly, Darkclaw fumed. _Scaredy-mouse? That doesn't describe me! I'm not afraid of anything. She should know better than to eat frogs she finds in the-wait, is that one of the ones I caught? It has that same red colouring. No way, it is! So this is _my_ fault now?_ Worried, he changed the subject.

"Your ridiculous Winds of Death again?" he asked. "We all know that they're a load of foxdung."

"They are real, I swear it to StarClan!" Hopekit protested. "They tell me that Duskstar will die. Bonetail will die. The RiverClan warrior Icefang will die."

Birdsong reverberated through the camp, but it could do nothing to ease the cold sense of dread that Darkclaw felt. Try as he might to remain sceptical, Hopekit's predictions worried him. Two sunrises before, the ShadowClan warrior Falconscreech had been found dead, his body brutally torn open. The rogues were obviously to blame, but even that wasn't motivating Darkclaw's spineless Clanmates enough. A few sunrises before that, Hopekit had told Darkclaw about Falconscreech's impending death. Darkclaw had scoffed at her then. Now, he wasn't so sure.

"Do the Winds of Death say anything about someone called Arise?" he asked, deciding that it couldn't hurt to ask one question before he left Hopekit to her own devices.

The white she-kit nodded solemnly. "Yes, they do," she said. "That tortoiseshell tom is going to cause your death."

Darkclaw's fur shot up, partly because of his rage and party because of his embarrassment. "You shut up with your mouse-brained Winds of Death!" he snapped. "I'm the Clan leader's son! I won't die."

Hopekit nodded. "Your death won't be permanent," she reassured him. "But the Winds of Death can never be cheated. In less than six moons, the tom known as Darkclaw will be dead."

Out of the bushes, Hopekit's brother Blazekit sprang at her and threw her to the ground. He glanced up at Darkclaw as his sister rolled around across the camp floor. "Oh hey Darkclaw," the brown tom greeted the dark tabby. "Hopekit and I were just about to play Firestar and Scourge. It's the best game! And in just a quarter moon, we'll be apprentices, fighting alongside you."

The white she-kit leaped to her paws. "I get to be Firestar this time!" she declared. Darkclaw nodded at them and padded away to where the other warriors were relaxing.

A few warriors were sharing tongues, while Redclaw, the deputy, was organizing patrols. Darkclaw sighed, approaching his former mentor.

"Is it okay if I go out and find Foxwhisker?" he asked the red tom. "There's something I need to talk to her about."

Redclaw nodded. "If you need to do this, go right ahead," he said. "But, if there's ever anything troubling you, you can always talk to me about it. I'll always feel like your mentor, even though you're no longer the apprentice you once were."

"I'm fine," Darkclaw bluntly replied. _You can't help me with my mother. Only I can find a way to solve that problem._

He pushed through the barrier, catching the scent of the wily, old medicine cat. He followed her scent line through the trees, until he reached a clearing in the shady forest.

"I've finally found you!" exclaimed Foxwhisker as she leaped out of a bush. Beside her, a crop of flowers grew. They seemed to glisten, as if StarClan had invested their power within them.

"As if, you old flea-pelt!" Darkclaw snapped back. "I've been running around all morning. I found you, not the other way around."

The wiry she-cat smirked. "Yes, I see that my errand succeeded in aggravating you," she observed, triumph in her eyes. "I see it as clearly as I see how you could come here under the impression that you were the one to find me. But if you found me here with these, then StarClan must have a purpose in sending you here." She gestured to white flowers that she was sitting beside. "I am StarClan's representative among ShadowClan, so if you think about it, I was always meant to find you. Can your mind comprehend that, or did I just waste my breath on you?"

He glowered at her. "I don't give a mousetail about your riddles. Just tell me why you keep sending me to do these mouse-brained chores!"

The wind blew through Darkclaw's dark pelt as the aging medicine cat cocked her head at him. "My dear warrior, the answers to all riddles will come in due time," she promised. "But if you truly have to know, I do it because it annoys you. Your reactions are the only thing in this world that can consistently humour me. Is that everything you needed to know?"

"No, you just distracted me by being a stupid furball!" he spat. "What I really need to know means everything for the Clan, as always. Have you ever heard anything about a tom named Arise?"

Foxwhisker's jaw dropped open with shock. Darkclaw was pleased. This was the first time he'd ever gotten a reaction like that out of her. The medicine cat quickly composed herself, but Darkclaw had already had a pleasant surprise. He didn't need it dragged out for a long time.

"Yes I have heard of him," Foxwhisker explained. "He's like a remnant, a relic from the older days. This tom is an outsider, living beyond the Clans. To all who seek him out, he promises great power. But it is a blasphemous power, ripped from the earth itself and forged in the fires of the Echo Wars. No cat that finds him can ever remain unchanged. You would do well not to search for him."

Darkclaw nodded to her, preparing to turn and go. Then, seeing the expectant look in her eyes, he meekly bowed his head. "Th-thank you," he said, forcing the words out of his mouth.

"You're welcome," she replied, glancing up at the sky as she did. "Oh, look what you've done! There's a Half-moon meeting tonight, but you've kept me for too long. Would you mind helping a poor she-cat carry her herbs back to the camp?"

Darkclaw grunted his agreement. _You're anything but "poor". Still, you did tell me about Arise, and I'll get another earful if I cause you any delay._ He padded over to the glistening flowers, bending his head down and gently placing his jaws around its stem.

"Not those!" Foxwhisker shouted. Shocked, Darkclaw released the flower and pulled his head away from it. He quizzically met the medicine cat's worried gray eyes.

"Why not these flowers?"

"Those are called Moonleaves," Foxwhisker explained. "They're an extremely rare herb, and they take a long time to grow. They're good for a variety of ailments, but they work especially well when helping queens deliver their kits. I've been tending to this stock for a few moons, and I won't have you invalidate my work."

Darkclaw shrugged as the medicine cat passed a stack of mallow leaves to him. Carefully gripping them in his jaws, he followed her back to the camp.

…

Darkclaw yawned as his sister Cherrynose licked his pelt clean. "There we go," declared Cherrynose. "Your pelt is all done. That she-cat you always talk with would be so proud."

Darkclaw pictured Snowcloud. At the moment, she was probably making her way to the Moonpool, if she wasn't there already. Foxwhisker and Stonepaw had left a few minutes before, just after Stonepaw had declared how much he wanted to see Rainpaw. On the day that Darkclaw reached his seventh moon, Bonetail had taken him to visit the starry pool. All apprentices needed to visit the Moonpool once before they became warriors. It was a tradition all four Clans had adopted back when Duskstar became leader of ShadowClan, out of respect for the ancient days.

"I think by now we've established that my day was the same as always," Darkclaw grunted. "So, what did you get done today, Cherrynose?"

"Oh, nothing much," Cherrynose purred. "I was helping Crowfur and Toadclaw handle their apprentices at the training hollow. I like those two, but they definitely have room for improvement. Marshpaw understands everything, but he has trouble putting his knowledge to use. On the other paw, Skypaw is swift and good with fighting moves, but she's also very lazy. Oh, there they are right now!"

The two apprentices were smiling as the skipped over to the fresh-kill pile. Beaming back, Cherrynose began making conversation with the two. Worried about a potential annoyance, Darkclaw left to sit on his own.

"Hey Darkclaw, would you happen to have seen your father around?" Redclaw asked, worrying edging his meow. Darkclaw shook his head. He hadn't seen Blackfur anywhere. The deputy grunted in annoyance. "Okay, I've got it. He was supposed to lead the Dusk Patrol, but he hasn't been sighted since Sunhigh. I'll just have to keep looking."

As the red tom padded off, Darkclaw noticed his mother sitting alone outside her den. He glanced around, confirming that she really was alone. _Finally. How many days has it been since I've spoken with my mother?_

Anticipation tingling through his paws, he walked up to Duskstar. The gray she-cat looked up at him, blinking her green eyes. "Darkclaw?" she asked.

"Mother," he mewed in greeting. "I've wanted to talk with you."

They were interrupted by a pain-filled meow. _More interruptions. Essentially, this is just like every other day of my life._

"It's coming from the Nursery!" gasped a nearby Crowfur. "Blossomspots is giving birth to my kits!"

Sootstain began frantically running around in circles. "What do we do? What do we do?" he shouted. "The medicine cats are gone, and a queen is kitting."

Darkclaw didn't even look at them as he left Duskstar and headed towards his den. _Idiots, all of them._ He shrugged, not caring about what they decided.

"Just calm down!" Redclaw shouted over the voices of panicking cats. "We are ShadowClan, fiercest Clan of them all. We will not be defeated by something like this!"

Darkclaw stopped, looking back. _Sure, they may be idiots, but Redclaw is right. This is _my_ Clan!_ He darted over to Redclaw, using his paw to wave the deputy back.

"Alright ShadowClan!" he declared. "I'll take control from here."

"You?" asked Crowfur incredulously. "You're no medicine cat. All you do is fight!"

"Will you rat-brains just shut your mouths?" Darkclaw snapped. "That stupid old she-cat Foxwhisker is constantly sending me on errands. Thanks to her, I know exactly how to deliver kits!" He surveyed the group of cats, looking for anyone who might prove useful. "Skypaw!" he called to the apprentice.

The speckled white she-cat glanced up at him, seemingly grumpy at being asked to work. Then she reluctantly bounded over to him, haughtiness in her step.

"You called?" she asked.

Darkclaw glared at her as he nodded. "You've had your trip to the Moonpool, right?"

She grunted a confirmation.

"Then you should know the way," he said. "My sister tells me you are quite swift. Prove it to me, and go get one of the medicine cats back."

Her eyes suddenly lit up in response to his challenge. "I'll be back before you can count your paws!" she boasted as she shot off out of the camp.

"Now that that's done with, let's get into the Nursery," Darkclaw barked.

He barged through the bush, a small group of cats following him. Inside, Blossomspots was laid out on the ground, yowling in pain as her body spasmed.

Darkclaw glanced at Webnose, whose eyes were wide with fear. "Somebody find me a stick," he ordered.

"For poking out the kits?" asked Sootstain.

"How dense are you?" Darkclaw snapped. "It's for Blossomspots to bite down on while she's kitting."

Blazekit leaped out of the nearby nest, eyes shining. "I was playing with some sticks near the apprentices' den," he explained. "You could use those."

Creamfur nodded at him, and she raced out of the Nursery, returning moments later with a large stick. Marshpaw flicked his tail at Blazekit to signal respect.

As Blossomspots yowled with pain, Crowfur grasped the stick and stepped beside her. "It will be okay," he purred reassuringly. "Just bite down on this stick."

Blossomspots obliged and chomped down. "They're coming!" she grunted through gritted teeth.

Darkclaw's mind was whirling frantically. "Moss!" he yelled. "Somebody tear some moss off the bush here and dip it in the pool right outside the camp. Blossomspots should have some water as she does this."

Marshpaw darted out after tearing off a large chunk of moss. Darkclaw waited, heart pounding, as Blossomspots shook with pain. After what seemed like moons, Marshpaw came back in with the moss, now soaking wet. At Darkclaw's orders he held it over the queen's mouth so she could drink.

Darkclaw watched nervously, his pelt turning damp with sweat, while Blossomspots started pushing. _There must be something more that I can do._ Then, the memory of his earlier conversation with Foxwhisker rushed to him.

"I'll be right back!" he snapped. "If any of her kits come out, lick their fur the wrong way to get their hearts moving."

The dark tabby rushed out of the Nursery before anyone had a chance to reply. He burst into the camp, moving furiously to pass through it in a heartbeat. Calling upon his memory, he followed the path that had taken him to Foxwhisker earlier that day. He sprinted along the path until he managed to reach the crop of Moonleaves.

Mind addled from stress, he considered how many to take. _I don't know how many I'll need. Might as well make this visit count._ Panting, he pulled every last Moonleaf free, gathering them up in a bundle as he did. Then, gripping them as carefully as he could, he raced back towards ShadowClan camp.

It took far too long to get there, even though he was calling up reserves of speed that he hadn't known he had. Finally, he pushed his way through the thorn barrier and into the camp. With the last of his strength, he ran to the Nursery, entering to find that none of the kits had come out yet.

"Here," he said, not even having the energy to be annoyed as he dropped the Moonleaves to the ground. "Chew these up and give them to Blossomspots."

Crowfur and Webnose obliged, taking a few Moonleaves and chewing them into a poultice. Then they administered them to Blossomspots, which seemed to sooth the queen's pain. At last, the she-cat began to heave.

Watching was too much. Darkclaw's stomach began to turn at the sight of the she-cat pushing out. Just then, there was a rustling from the Nursery bush. Through it, Skypaw padded in, Foxwhisker close behind her.

"My, my, I never expected Darkclaw to take charge of something like this," the old she-cat mused. "You look exhausted. I'll finish up for you. Get a bit of rest."

Happy to have the stress lifted from him, Darkclaw walked out of the Nursery. However, his fatigue was great. He didn't even make it a foxlength away from the Nursery before he fell to the ground. He lay there, letting himself rest. He tried to consider his problems, especially Arise, as he lay there, but in the end everything was overwhelmed by exhaustion.

He closed his eyes and slept.

…

Not much time passed before Cherrynose woke him.

"The kits are born," she hissed. "Come on, you should see them."

Darkclaw sighed and stood up, crawling after his sister. Entering the Nursery, he saw Blossomspots and Crowfur beaming at three small kits.

"Two toms and a she-cat," Blossomspots informed him. "They're absolutely perfect. Thank you, Darkclaw."

"It's a miracle," Crowfur whispered as one of the kits began to squeal. "These kits, they're everything I'd hoped for and more." Crowfur and Blossomspots rubbed against each other, the scent of joy emanating from them.

"Yes, the miracle of squealing brats," Darkclaw grunted. "Truly, a sight like no other."

"The she-kit is Shadekit, in honour of Darkclaw," Blossomspots decided.

Darkclaw shrugged. _It's not the best reward, but I'll take it._

"I love it," Crowfur said to his mate. "Why not name this tom Stickkit?"

Blossomspots nodded. "Yes, Shadekit and Stickkit," she agreed. "What should the other tom be named?"

For no reason in particular, Darkclaw blurted out, "Needlekit."

Blossomspots and Crowfur both smiled at him. "Shadekit, Stickkit, and Needlekit," said Blossomspots. "Sleep well, my little ones."

"I'll be going now," said Darkclaw. "I need to get some more sleep. I have a lot of training to do tomorrow."

The cats in the Nursery glowed, waving their tails in salute as Darkclaw excused himself. He slowly walked to the Warriors' Den, glad that all the commotion of the night was finished. The thorn barrier shook, and the dark tabby shot a glance at it. _Oh. Stonepaw's back from the Moonpool._

His fathered walked in, blood dripping from many wounds, and fell to the ground.

"Blackfur!" he screamed in horror, rushing over to the tom. For a few terrifying moments, he thought that his father was dead. Then, Blackfur faintly murmured.

"What?" Darkclaw asked. "Father, say something!"

"I…went to the west Twoleg nest," his father weakly told him. "Something attacked me, but it was too fast…so dark. I couldn't see it. The Clans…sure would be a shame if they came to an end." His eyes closed and he fell still.

"Father?" Darkclaw gasped. "No, you have to live!"

"What's happening?" asked Stonepaw as he bolted into the camp.

"It's Blackfur," Darkclaw explained. "He got attacked by something at the west Twoleg nest. I don't know what it was. Probably a dog or something."

Stonepaw nodded grimly. "I'll take care of this," he said. "You just get some rest."

Shrugging worriedly, Darkclaw headed into the Warriors' Den and found his nest. _Be okay, father._

There were two abandoned Twoleg nests on ShadowClan territory. One, in the east, had nearly fallen to pieces. The other, in the west, was in much better shape. ShadowClan patrols had a habit of ignoring both. It looked like Blackfur had paid a visit to the nest, and found something waiting for him.

Darkclaw curled up uneasily. Examining his pelt, he found that his next course of action had been with him all along. _I told Stonepaw that Blackfur's assailant was probably a dog. But that's not true. There's only one thing that would have been hiding out at the Twoleg nest._

Rogues.

Lying in his nest, Darkclaw felt determination flood over him. Arise had made him an offer. It looked like he would have to take it.

_Bonetail, when we last met, I told you that you'd already lost, but you just hadn't realized it yet. Now, you're going to find out why. You taught me all of your tricks and moves. I know how to defeat you! Prepare yourself, Bonetail._

_Because I'm coming for you._

**To be continued…**

**Thanks again for reading! So, what do you think of Darkclaw compared to Tidepaw and Leafkit? Or even on his own?**

**Here's some insider info available to everyone that bothers to read these things. It's the things that got cut from this chapter:**

**Cherrynose was originally going to go with Darkclaw to find Foxwhisker, but her role was pointless and we'll see more of her in the next chapter anyway.**

**There was going to be an explanation of the Echo Wars, but Darkclaw never managed to drop by the Elders' Den for story time. Guess that's next time too.**

**Concerning Hopekit, at first she was going to have predicted the death of Bonetail's mate (you remember her, right?) with the Winds of Death. When I realized that she would have been a moon old at the time, that idea was immediately scrapped. Also, Darkclaw was going to hit her after she told him that Arise would cause his death, but that's too much of a dick move even for Darkclaw.**

**The most drastic change: Bonetail originally wasn't even in the fanfic, but introducing him was exactly what I needed to spruce up the early chapters and foreshadow the later chapters. The original chapter 5 was about Darkclaw and Redclaw discussing border patrols. As everyone can tell, 7000 words of border patrol discussion would have sucked horribly.**

**Anyway, thanks for reading! See you next time, when Darkclaw's adventures continue.**


	7. Chapter 6 Darkclaw

**Oh, I do love that new chapter smell. Even if you logically can't smell the internet. This chapter marks the long awaited return of a popular she-cat keep your eyes peeled for her. And once again, thanks to everyone who has even so much as glanced at my fanfic! Having people actually read my story makes me indescribably happy. Enjoy the update! **

**Chapter 6**

Darkclaw flew forward, knocking aside the ThunderClan she-cat. Yowling, his adversary rolled across the ground. He turned towards her, and she stood up, blood dripping from her thick brown and gold fur. He smiled at her, bloodlust fuelling him as he raced forward to strike her again. She tried to strike back, but her feeble blows only served as mild annoyances.

Battle was his element, the place where he truly knew what he was and what he wanted. He batted the she-cat away, sending her crashing to the earth again. _I'll teach you a lesson about disrespecting Clan borders!_

Unexpectedly, someone leaped onto him, pushing him to the ground. He flailed uselessly for a few heartbeats, then sighed and relaxed under their grip.

"Darkclaw, stop it already!" snapped Creamfur, the she-cat pinning him down at the moment. "We've already proved to the ThunderClan warriors that ShadowClan's borders are not to be disturbed. You don't need to drag out this battle."

"The fiercest Clan in the forest does not yield!" he retorted, wrenching himself free from her grip.

"The ThunderClan cats are wounded enough," Creamfur pointed out. "We've won the battle already. Now we just have to wait while they acknowledge it."

Darkclaw turned around, examining the ThunderClan warriors without letting his thirst for battle cloud his eyes. They all had wounds to show for the border skirmish.

"Yeah, I've roughed them up pretty well," he decided. "They won't be starting another border skirmish anytime soon."

"That's exactly what I was trying to tell you," Creamfur muttered under her breath. Darkclaw decided to just ignore her.

"Hazelfrost, can you walk?" a handsome ginger tom asked the she-cat who had traded blows with Darkclaw mere seconds before.

"I'm fine Fireheart," she replied. "I have enough strength to fight as many battles as I want."

"Glad to know you're okay," meowed the tom, smiling. He led the ThunderClan patrol away from the border, bowing to Creamfur's patrol as he did.

"We've shown them that ShadowClan is not to be trifled with," Creamfur announced to the ShadowClan cats. "Now, let's take the Dawn Patrol home."

As Creamfur led them back into the shady forest, Darkclaw's paws tingled with anticipation. It had been two sunrises since his meeting with Arise. Today, he would go to the original ShadowClan camp and confront Bonetail. _Get ready, rogue. I'm going to show you just how much I've learned!_

…

"There you go," said Stonepaw as he applied the last bit of dock leaf to Darkclaw's scratches. "You should be feeling better soon."

"Whatever you say," snapped Darkclaw. "It's nothing I couldn't have dealt with myself. Anyway, how is Blackfur doing?"

"He's drifting in and out of consciousness," Stonepaw explained. "We're hoping that he gets better, but that's in the paws of StarClan now."

Darkclaw grunted. "You better make sure he gets well," he warned. "Anyway, do you know what attacked him?"

"It's kind of confusing," the medicine apprentice replied, fidgeting nervously. "We checked his wounds and found that his attacker was a cat. But whoever this cat is, it definitely wasn't a rogue."

"What?" snapped Darkclaw, confused. "Are you saying that it was a _Clan cat_who attacked my father?"

Stonepaw shook his head vigorously. "No," he replied. "The cat that attacked your father wasn't one of Bonetail's rogues, and it wasn't a Clan cat. I know that it's said cats from the Dark Forest no longer prowl this world, but if I had to describe the thing that attacked your father, I would use them as an analogy."

"If you're trying to frighten me, you've succeeded," Darkclaw bluntly grunted. "Let's get off this topic. Have you had any special omens from StarClan? Maybe about how the Clan Leader's son will defeat the dark forces threatening the Clans?"

Stonepaw gritted his teeth nervously. _Poor thing. He's terrified of the stories about the Dark Forest. Foxwhisker will probably yell at the elders because of this._

"Maybe you should ask Foxwhisker," the medicine apprentice suggested sheepishly. "She's had more experience with StarClan than I've had."

Darkclaw nodded. "Well then, I'll see you later, Stonepaw."

He rushed out of the medicine den, catching the medicine cat by the well-stocked fresh-kill pile. "Foxwhisker!" he growled. "Have you received any prophecies from StarClan recently? Say, a prophecy about the kit of a Clan Leader having a great destiny?"

The old she-cat eyed him suspiciously. "If StarClan did tell me a prophecy like that," she spat, "why would I choose to share it with you?"

"Because it's my prophecy!" Darkclaw snapped. "I deserve to know!"

"A fool's answer," Foxwhisker growled, turning her head back towards her prey. "There's a story that's pretty infamous among ShadowClan. It's the tale of the 'Dark Prophecy'. Have the elders tell it to you sometime. Your thick skull is empty except for foxdung, but maybe that foxdung would be interested in learning something."

Confusion ebbed over the dark tabby and he cocked his head. "The 'Dark Prophecy'?" he asked. "Is that the story of Tigerstar and Firestar?"

"Of course not," the thin medicine cat rasped bitterly. "Heroic tales of fancy would only serve to cause impressionable young rat-brains like you to make stupid decisions in an attempt to emulate the Heroes of Prophecy."

As was usual when he was dealing with Foxwhisker, something within Darkclaw snapped. "You StarClan-forsaken, foxhearted piece of crowfood!" he roared. "Enough of these ratbrained riddles! Just tell my why you've been so angry at me recently."

Low, growl-like laughter rumbled from the gray-and-ginger she-cat. "Finally, you start asking the right questions!" she exclaimed with an exaggerated huff. "Come to my den and I'll show you."

Without waiting for a response, she marched off to the medicine den. Darkclaw uneasily shuffled in behind her.

"Back already, Darkclaw?" asked Stonepaw. "Foxwhisker, you didn't hurt him too much, did you? He's one of the few interesting conversation partners I have!" There was genuine fear in the tom's mew, but his mentor licked his fur affectionately.

"There's no need to worry," she reassured him. "Darkclaw has done nothing to awaken any murderous desires within me. Not yet." She let the last word linger, an obvious threat to the dark tabby. He shivered, wondering if she was serious or not.

The wiry she-cat scuffled with the ivy leaves for a moment, before pulling a small object out of them. She placed it before Darkclaw, glowering. It was round, silver, and about the size of a pebble.

"Do you know what this is?" Foxwhisker barked, making Darkclaw flinch.

"I have no idea!" he replied honestly. _Does she think I tried to steal this thing? What use would I have for something so pathetic?_

"It's the last Moonleaf seed!" snarled Foxwhisker. "I forgot to plant it with the others, and it's lucky I did. You uprooted my entire stock of Moonleaves. Do you have any idea how rare they are, or how useful they are? You don't know how long it took to cultivate them! I was going to create a large crop of them, for me and all the medicine cats who come after my time! That's a wasted dream now. You ruined it!"

For once, Darkclaw was left with no words. He growled miserably and stared at his paws. What was that tinge he felt inside? Guilt? _No, there's nothing wrong with what I did. I helped Blossomspots with her kitting. This piece of lizard-dung should be thanking me!_

At that moment, Creamfur padded into the medicine den. "Excuse, but do you have any herbs for a sore throat?" she asked. "Sootstain seems to be wheezing a lot recently."

"Coltsfoot is good for shortness of breath," Foxwhisker offered. "Could I get you some of that?"

Creamfur nodded, smiling. "Yes, please," she agreed. "Sorry to bother you."

"Whatever you do, don't apologize," Foxwhisker rasped. "I'm supposed to be here for cats who need herbs. Rat-brains like him," She flicked her tail at Darkclaw, "those are the ones that bother me."

"Shut up you old fool!" Darkclaw snarled. "In case you're forgetting, it was you who brought me in here."

Foxwhisker ignored him and rifled around in the ivy leaves for a few heartbeats. As she did this, Sootstain burst into the den.

"Hold on!" he cried. "My daughter has been worried about me, and she was going to come down here, but I want you to know that I'm fine. I may be getting gray fur, but that doesn't mean I need everyone to trip over their tails for me."

"Father, please just take something for your throat," Creamfur pleaded. "Don't let pride get in the way of your health."

Sootstain shook his head. "I've already explained to you that I'm perfectly fine," he snapped. "I can look after myself."

Creamfur turned to Foxwhisker. "Can you get him to take some herbs?" she asked. "I don't want anything bad to have to happen to father."

Darkclaw observed her, smirking. _While she's out leading patrols and fighting for her Clan, she acts tough. But when she's worried about her kin, she really is helpless._

Foxwhisker crawled out of the ivy leaves. "Sorry Creamfur, but it doesn't look that way," she said. "My brother has always been too stubborn to allow anyone short of the Clan leader the power to sway his opinion."

Creamfur nodded, frustration in her eyes. "I'll be going then," she sighed. "Don't do anything too reckless, father." She left the den, and triumph gleamed in Sootstain's eyes.

"I should be going too," the senior warrior said. "Now that I don't have to worry about her, I can get back to my warrior duties." He seemed to be on the brink of leaving, but something in the den caught his interest. "Wow Foxwhisker, you really have seen everything there is to see on ShadowClan territory," he meowed. "I have to say I'm impressed."

"What do you mean by that?" the gray-and-ginger medicine cat asked. There was a confused look on her face as she glanced around the den.

"Well, you got that seed from the ruins of ShadowClan's previous camp, didn't you?" Sootstain meowed. "I didn't think that many cats knew where to actually find that place among the swamp, but you're evidently quite the adventurer."

"Wow, you've been there?" Stonepaw asked his mentor, eyes shining with awe. "That's amazing! Was anything resembling the Stone of Songs there? It was said to have been lost during the Echo Wars, but I'm sure that it's somewhere on ShadowClan territory."

Foxwhisker shook her head. "No, I've never had the privilege of visiting the original ShadowClan camp," she admitted. "I found the Moonleaf seeds near the tunnel that runs through ShadowClan and RiverClan territory. Still, Sootstain has given us the answer to our problem. If there are Moonleaf seeds in the old camp, then he could retrieve them for us." She gave him a serious stare. "Do you think you're up to the task, brother?"

Sootstain nodded cockily. "Of course I can grab you the seeds you need," he assured her. "It won't be any trouble at all for an experienced warrior like me."

Darkclaw watched uneasily. _What if he meets Bonetail at the camp? Arise promised me glory. He's not stealing one of the few chances I have to gain Duskstar's acknowledgement!_

"I will go with Sootstain," he declared.

Foxwhisker gave him a look filled with scepticism. "Why you, rat-brain?" she asked. "I've sent you on enough errands to know that you have no skill at carrying small objects around. Stop being so obsessed with sticking your head into things you don't understand."

Darkclaw wanted to scream at her, but he restrained himself. Losing his temper would do him no good at the moment. "Yes, I won't be very helpful when it comes to helping carry the seeds," he admitted. "However, I'm far from useless. Bonetail and his rogues are out there, remember? It wouldn't hurt to have a fighter around in case we get ambushed. Besides, it's my way to make it up to you for what I did to the first Moonleaf crop."

Foxwhisker nodded, a strange emotion flickering in her eyes. _Is that respect? Wow, I never expected to see that from old Foxwhisker._

"You make a sound argument," she said. "Beside, it's good to see you finally taking responsibility for something. You really aren't as stupid as you pretend to be. I'll get Redclaw to put together a patrol."

"What's that about me being stupid?" Darkclaw screamed.

"I stand by every word," Foxwhisker replied. "Now, while you wait for the patrol to be formed, I've got a little errand for you."

Darkclaw shot a glare at the ground. "Oh great," he mumbled.

"It's nothing hard this time," said Foxwhisker. "I just want you to go to the Elders' Den and listen to the tale of the Dark Prophecy."

…

Goldleaf was telling the story again. It was a story that almost all Clan cats knew by heart. The story of the Echo Wars.

"The story of the Three, and their struggle against the Dark Forest is a legendary one," Goldleaf grandly rasped, "but it was not long after they completed their destiny when the Clans were again thrown into peril. A new darkness known as 'Ragnarok' descended on the Clans, just as the Great Leaders Rosestar, Hollowstar, Sedgestar, and Toadstar, took power. With Ragnarok came death and chaos, as the Clans fought against both this new darkness and themselves. This time would come to be known as the Echo Wars."

Hopekit and Blazekit were listening to Goldleaf, eyes wide with awe, as he told his tale. The other elders, Addertooth and Ratstorm, watched, seeming to be entertained as well.

"I know you're very eager to talk about the Echo Wars and its legendary battles," Darkclaw started, "but Foxwhisker sent me here to listen to one of your stories. Tell me, have you ever heard of something called the 'Dark Prophecy'?"

Goldleaf's eyes lit up. "It seems we have a request," he purred. "Would either of you kits mind if I indulged in this youngster's curiosity?"

The two kits shook their heads. "The Echo Wars are great, but I've already heard about them from Addertooth and Ratstorm," Blazekit explained. "I'd like to hear this new story."

Goldleaf nodded. "Many season after the fires of the Echo Wars burned out, a tom named Lionflight was born," he explained. "Lionflight was a pure-hearted cat, and a natural leader. As such, it came as no surprise to ShadowClan's medicine cat, Smokecloud, when he received a prophecy about Lionflight. The prophecy stated that Lionflight would become a legendary warrior and unite all four Clans. Medicine cats aren't supposed to share the secrets StarClan shows them, but Lionflight was a magnificent warrior with a noble heart. Smokecloud saw no reason to hide his great destiny. And so it was that he revealed the prophecy to all of ShadowClan."

"He must have become Lionstar," Blazekit whispered to his sister. "Why haven't I heard of him?"

"Because this is the first time we've heard his story," the white she-kit hissed back.

"But if he became a Great Leader like Toadstar or Blackstar, wouldn't his story be more well-known?" the brown tom wondered aloud.

Ignoring them, Goldleaf continued on. "Lionflight received this news humbly, as was his nature," he explained. "But even the noblest of hearts have hidden desires. Lionflight was a crusader for those who his Clanmates thought disgraceful. He welcomed kittypets and halfClan cats where no other warrior would. He wished for the Clans to throw away their hatred and accept peace. He held cats in need above himself, for he had been granted much, while they had needed to fight for what little they had.

"ShadowClan's deputy Sparrowwing was generally thought to be an utter failure. She was a strong warrior with a good heart, but cats have a habit of being crushed under the weight of responsibility. One day in Leaf-fall, ShadowClan and ThunderClan met in battle. Although most blamed Sparrowwing for the battle, its roots were to be found entwined with the deep-set hatred ThunderClan and ShadowClan held for each other. During the battle, Sparrowwing made a reckless gamble to save a Clanmate. She failed, costing ShadowClan the battle, and the lives of several warriors. This left her deeply shaken, and she left the camp after facing the jeers of her Clanmates. She told the Clan that she was going to petition ThunderClan for an alliance, so that neither Clan would have to face such a destructive battle again.

"When Sparrowwing turned up dead the next day, not may ShadowClan cats found it in their hearts to care.

"As was expected, the leader Graystar named Lionflight his next deputy. He was popular at first, but soon the Clan began to doubt his ways. Lionflight had noble ambitions, but he tried to do too much, while he was only the deputy. Eventually, he must have realized that he would need more power in order to accomplish his dreams. Two sunrises before the half-moon Medicine Gathering, Lionflight appeared in Smokecloud's den and asked him how many lives Graystar had left. Assuming that Lionflight aimed to protect his leader, Smokecloud told him that Graystar had only one life left. Lionflight walked away, purring excitedly while wearing a satisfied smile. Only then did Smokecloud realize what he had done. He decided to take matters into his own paws and put an end to the horror that he had created. But he had no apprentice to carry on if he failed. So before he left to confront Lionflight, Smokecloud told everything to his current patient, Ivyleaf, the she-cat Lionflight had taken as a mate. Later that day, the ShadowClan warriors found their medicine cat's body in the lake.

"Ivyleaf had known something was wrong with her mate, but only with the discovery of the medicine cat's death did she truly believe it. Of course, by the time she recovered from her injuries it was too late. The day after Smokecloud's death, Graystar was discovered outside the swamp, impaled on a tree branch. Desperate to protect her Clan, Ivyleaf convinced Lionflight to delay his trip to the Moonpool. She told him that the grief-stricken ShadowClan would need a strong leader in their camp to guide them through the day. The next day would be no good either, as the medicine cats would be making use of the Moonpool. Lionflight trusted his mate. No matter how far he had fallen, he would always love her. He even declared her his deputy, never thinking that she would betray him.

"On the night of the Medicine Gathering, Ivyleaf told Lionflight that a young she-cat named Tawnystripes had been chosen to be ShadowClan's next medicine cat. She offered to escort Tawnystripes to the Moonpool, so as to protect the prospective medicine cat from predators. Lionflight, of course, agreed to her offer. Once at the Moonpool, Ivyleaf explained everything to the medicine cats from the other Clans. Together, they devised a plan to stop Lionflight and his mad ambition.

"When Lionflight travelled to the Moonpool, he was met with a group composed of warriors from all the Clans. His companions, Tawnystripes and Ivyleaf, turned on him as well, desperate to protect the Clans. Lionflight was a powerful warrior, but even he was no match for the finest warriors of all four Clans. The golden warrior tried to flee the Clans, but the WindClan warriors were too swift for him. Ivyleaf caught up to him as well, and she dealt the final blow. Lionflight fell into an unstable tunnel, which collapsed on him. His last words to the Clans were a vow that he would return to seek vengeance, but he never threatened them again.

"In the aftermath of the storm Lionflight had brought, Tawnystripes was named Tawnystar, ShadowClan's leader, while Ivyleaf became the medicine cat. Her teachings still run strong in this Clan today, while the story of Lionflight is left to us as a warning. Heroes must find their own way to rise. In the end, Lionflight did unite the Clans, but only as a threat that they worked together to overcome. Here ends his story, the Tale of the Dark Prophecy."

"Wow!" Blazekit gasped. "Lionflight better hope that I don't meet him in my dreams. I'd shred that traitor!"

"No cat needs to worry about Lionflight returning," rasped Ratstorm. "He has never been seen in StarClan, and the Dark Forest is closed off now. Nothing can get in or out of that evil place."

Addertooth glanced at Darkclaw. "Did you learn anything from this, youngster?" she asked. "After all, you were sent by Foxwhisker to listen to Goldleaf's story."

Darkclaw grumbled. It had been a complete waste of his time. "Only that Foxwhisker is a mouse-brain," he snapped. "And I already knew that. Did she seriously think I could learn some valuable lesson from this? As if!"

Before he left, he couldn't resist asking a question. "Hopekit, I'm going on a mission today," he explained to the she-kit. "It could end up being dangerous. Do the Winds of Death have anything to say about me, or Bonetail's rogues?"

The white she-kit shook her head. "I wish I could help you," she apologized, green eyes guilty, "but the Winds of Death aren't speaking to me at the moment. I think that all their power is focused elsewhere, guiding someone else. This is the third time it's happened."

"That's too bad," Darkclaw grunted.

Hopekit shook her head. "It's really quite comforting," she explained. "Their howls follow me when I'm awake and asleep. It's a relief to be alone in my head once in a while."

The dark tabby nodded. _Well, I'd better hurry up or I might miss getting my revenge on Bonetail. Hopekit just gave me the chance to prove that I make my own destiny. I'll show the rogues _and_ Arise just what I'm made of!_ "You two enjoy the stories of the Echo Wars then," he said. "I've got a patrol to catch."

…

Darkclaw followed Sootstain as he led the patrol towards the swamp. Redclaw had chosen Owlflight and Cherrynose to join them in their journey to the old ShadowClan camp.

"Why do we have to go to the ThunderClan border for this?" asked Owlflight. "Wouldn't it be quicker to cut through the swamp?"

Darkclaw glared at her. _Stop complaining, rat-brain. If we did that, we'd have been there and gone long before sunhigh. This way will get us there in time to fight Bonetail!_

Sootstain's tail twitched. "Yes, it would be faster if we cut through the swamp," he agreed, "but this is the safest way to the camp ruins. We're taking this way back from the ruins so that we don't lose any of the seeds to the swamp. As such, I thought that we might as well learn the path first."

Hearing an exasperated huff from the border, Darkclaw darted ahead of his patrol. _ThunderClan scum! You're disrespecting our Clan boundaries again, aren't you?_

Arriving at the border, he found Risingleaf, Fireheart, and Dawnfern, one of ThunderClan's two medicine cats.

Risingleaf noticed him, but instead of fear she showed happiness. "Oh, it's Darkclaw," she greeted. "He'll help us find her."

Dawnfern eyed her sceptically. "Usually I wouldn't even trust a ShadowClan cat to hold onto some crowfood," she muttered, "but if you trust him, Risingleaf, I'll give it a shot." The light brown medicine cat gave Darkclaw a glance. "You there, ShadowClan cat!" she barked. "Tell me, have you seen a she-cat called Hazelfrost anywhere? Maybe trespassing in your StarClan-forsaken swamp? She has blue eyes and thick brown and gold fur."

"ShadowClan cats aren't so lax that we'd let one of you fleapelts sneak onto our land!" Darkclaw snapped. "Of course she's not here. But if it's any help, I did give her a good beating here at the border. You were there, weren't you Fireheart?"

"I'd appreciate the help, Darkwhatever," Dawnfern hissed, "but that was where she was in the morning. We want to figure out where she is right at this moment. Does that make sense to you, or should I start over?"

"Great StarClan, you're just like Foxwhisker!" Darkclaw snapped. "Has she been giving you lessons? Listen, you're not telling me anything. Maybe a fox dragged her off? Or it could have been a dog. Twolegs have the problem of bringing them when the Newleaf weather sets in."

Dawnfern glowered at the earth. "If only it was that simple," she muttered.

"Wait, you're going to kill her?" Darkclaw asked, horrified. He dropped into his battle stance, unsheathing his claws. "Don't think I'll let you!"

"Don't be a mousebrain," Dawnfern growled. "The conduct of ThunderClan cats is none of ShadowClan's business."

"It is if it's murder!" Darkclaw roared.

"He's right, you know," Risingleaf whispered to Dawnfern, but she was pushed away by the medicine cat's tail.

"What is going on here?" asked Sootstain, finally catching up. "I leave you alone for five heartbeats and you get yourself into trouble, Darkclaw."

"We're looking for a missing warrior called Hazelfrost," Dawnfern explained. "Have you seen any ThunderClan she-cats hanging around your territory?"

"At the moment, we're taking a patrol into the swamp," Sootstain replied. "And it just so happens that earlier this morning, one of my Clanmates told me that he had noticed a fresh ThunderClan scent-trail leading into the swamp."

Dawnfern smirked happily. "Would you mind a few additions to you patrol?" she asked.

Darkclaw glared at her, his claws still unsheathed. _Oh no. You are not making me or my sister murder one of your Clanmates._

"Sure, why not experiment a little?" Sootstain hastily agreed.

Dawnfern, Risingleaf, and Fireheart started to cross the border, but Sootstain gestured for them to stop. "Only the medicine cat," he ordered. "The other two haven't been granted StarClan's privileges."

Dawnfern reluctantly grunted her agreement. "You two head back and check the WindClan border," she ordered, flicking her tail in dismissal. "I can handle myself from here."

Risingleaf nodded and padded off into the forest, Fireheart trailing behind her.

Shortly after the two had left, Owlflight and Cherrynose caught up. "Oh, you're Dawnfern," Owlflight noted, obviously confused. "Why are you here?"

"Dawnfern is looking for a lost Clanmate," Sootstain explained. "She thinks that she may find this cat on our territory, so I'm letting her join our patrol." He turned to the slim she-cat, smiling. "Anyway, I'm glad we have a medicine cat with us," he told her. "Tell me, have you ever heard of an herb called a 'Moonleaf'?"

…

After what seemed like an eternity of following Sootstain through the swamp, Darkclaw saw the senior warrior come to a stop. Following Sootstain's tail signal he stopped and waited for instruction. As he did, he shot a glance at Dawnfern, making sure that the ThunderClan she-cat had understood the ShadowClan tail signal. She looked a little confused, but she had copied everyone else by stopping.

"We're at the entrance to the camp ruins now," Sootstain explained. "The pine trees surrounding the camp collapsed into it long ago, so it's hidden really well. We'll have to crawl through a thorn tunnel to get inside." He sniffed around the ground for a moment, before motioning the cats forward with his tail.

"Here we are," Sootstain declared when Darkclaw had reached him. "This tunnel is a bit cramped, but it's nothing worse than the duties you've performed before. I'll go down first, and make sure that there's nothing at the end of the tunnel. Next, Owlflight can come down, then Dawnfern, then Cherrynose, and finally Darkclaw. Does everyone understand?"

The patrol nodded in response to his instructions, and the white tom crawled into the tunnel. After a short time, Darkclaw heard him calling back up to the patrol. "All clear!"

Darkclaw waited as the three she-cats each made their way through the tunnel. Finally, it was his turn. Before he went down into the camp ruins, he took a glance into the sky. _Sunhigh. That's perfect. Bonetail should be here any time now._

He squeezed the tunnel. It was a little tight, and thistles scratched his pelt, but he managed to make it through. He emerged from the tunnel and into the camp, where the rest of the patrol was waiting.

The fallen pine trees lying across the top of the camp cast deep shadows all around. Light leaked through them, falling over plants that sprung up, unattended throughout the ground. Broken branches were strewn across the ground, while vines grew across the camp walls.

"Come on, let's find those Moonleaves and get out of here," Cherrynose urged the patrol. "This place is creepy."

"On the contrary, I find this place fascinating," Dawnfern mused. "I don't believe that Hazelfrost will be found here, but I do wonder if the legends are true. They say the Stone of Songs was lost here. What would the Clans say if we found it?"

"I doubt you'll find the Stone," Cherrynose told Dawnfern. "There have been many ShadowClan patrols sent here throughout the seasons. If the Stone was still here, wouldn't one of them have found it by now?"

"Maybe that's true," Dawnfern replied, smiling mischievously, "but did any of those patrols bring a medicine cat with them? Wouldn't StarClan be more willing to deliver the Stone to someone that did their work in the world of the living?"

Darkclaw shrugged. According to legend, the Three chosen warriors, Dovewing, Jayfeather, and Lionblaze, had placed their power into the Stone of Songs as part of an effort to end the Echo Wars. The last battle of the Echo Wars had been fought in the original ShadowClan camp. Although the darkness of Ragnarok finally vanished, Dovewing, Jayfeather, and the Stone of Songs were lost in the battle. Because the Echo Wars had ended one quarter-moon after a Gathering, the Clans always used that day to pray and give thanks to StarClan. The sacrifice Dovewing and Jayfeather had made, along with many cats from the Clans, was not something that would be forgotten.

"Hold on!" snapped Sootstain suddenly. "I can smell another cat in here with us."

"Yes, it's about time you noticed," someone growled.

"Bonetail," Darkclaw hissed as the large, white tom stepped out of a den and faced the patrol.

"Enjoying the Ancient Clan history?" Bonetail purred. "Yes, this land is rich with the power of StarClan. Our warrior ancestors chose it for a reason. Their innate power naturally flows through the lake, just as we learn to crave light and fear darkness from the moment we open our eyes. But the medicine cats, granted StarClan's vision when they drink from the untainted waters of the Moonpool, have become a scourge. They pervert StarClan's power, choking out its light. I am an avenger! And look, you have delivered to me one of those accursed cats!"

Laughing, he raced towards Dawnfern. Darkclaw leaped in front of the hulking tom, catching him with a claw strike.

"Ah, Darkpaw," Bonetail hissed. "How do you expect to defeat the cat who taught you all your skills?"

Darkclaw swiped at the enormous tom's muzzle as he tried to hold him back. "I'm a warrior now!" he retorted. "My name is Darkclaw!"

Smirking, Bonetail used his greater weight to knock Darkclaw to the ground. He held the dark tom in place with a single paw, his claws digging into Darkclaw's pelt. "Barely a warrior," Bonetail snarled.

"Dawnfern, run!" Darkclaw screamed. The lithe medicine cat was frozen in shock, but his exclamation snapped her out of it. She turned and scrambled through the thorn tunnel, leaving the camp.

Bonetail cursed, and Darkclaw felt the white tom's weight lift off him. "I'm done playing a kit's game," the tom snarled.

As he spoke, three rogues dropped from the pine trees into the camp. "Sleet, Bear, Iris, take care of these cats!" Bonetail barked. "I'm going after a medicine cat." He darted up the thorn tunnel and out of the camp.

Darkclaw stood with his patrol, facing the three rogues who blocked the camp's exit.

"Can you guys take care of these foxhearts while I handle Bonetail?" Darkclaw asked, pelt hot with anticipation.

"We're ShadowClan," Owlflight replied. "We can handle it."

Darkclaw didn't take the time to snap at her. Instead, he raced at Bear and bit into one of his forelegs. While Bear tried to dislodge him by shaking his leg, Iris moved close to strike him. At the last possible moment, Darkclaw released his grip and threw Bear off balance. Then he spun around and met Iris's attack, knocking her over with his superior weight. Before Sleet could react, Darkclaw ran by the rogues and crawled through the thorn tunnel as fast as he could.

He wasted a few precious moments finding Bonetail's scent trail. Satisfied, he started to follow it.

Mere heartbeats later, a white she-cat rushed forward and struck him on the muzzle. "What do you think of this cat, Reedfur?" she called into the forest.

From the trees, a gray tom emerged. His eyes lazily surveyed Darkclaw. The dark tom hissed in response to the gray tom's scrutiny. "He may be large, but he looks young and inexperienced," the rogue observed. "The two of us can hold him off while Bonetail finishes his work."

"Reedfur?" Darkclaw mewed. "You're that RiverClan tom who went rogue! Really, how stupid is Bonetail? I can easily defeat a fish-breath who lost his water!"

"You will call me Slash!" the gray rogue barked.

As he spoke, Whitefeather rushed forward. Darkclaw let the she-cat advance, waiting until just before she struck to parry her blow with an attack of his own. The nimble she-cat leaped back before his blow could connect, and he was left with only a small tuft of her fur in his claws.

"Sorry about this," Whitefeather mewed as she rushed back towards him.

Darkclaw dodged to the side, feeling uninterested. Wind whistled through the air as he flew into Slash, who snarled and swiped at his face. Blood dripped from Darkclaw's muzzle as he faced the rogue.

Angrily, Darkclaw pounced on the gray tom. Blood rushed to his ears as he tore open Slash's nose and pinned him to the ground. Just then, Whitefeather streaked past him and raked his claws along his side. Hissing, Darkclaw released Slash and readied himself for the white she-cat's next attack. From behind him, Slash pounced, but Darkclaw had anticipated this. He dodged to the left, and the gray rogue flew by him.

Darkclaw's whiskers twitched irritably as Slash squared up beside his mate.

"It's the two of us against a single you," Slash purred. "How do you hope to defeat us?"

"Is that the best you can come up with?" Darkclaw sighed. "Fine. Let's get serious! I'll show you what _real_ battles are all about."

Just then, the three cats were interrupted by a scream from the forest.

"Kiai!"

A gray she-cat with white stripes, roughly the same age as Tidepaw, raced into the clearing. "Sorry I'm late," she mewed to Darkclaw. "Navigating this swamp took a lot more time than I thought it would. But never fear! I'll protect you now." She resumed her screaming and ran towards Slash.

The large tom's fur stood up as he effortlessly knocked her aside. "Stop following us!" he snapped.

Darkclaw had no words to describe what he had just witnessed. _At apprentice age, cats… well, they sure are lively._

The gray she-cat leapt to her paws. "Sneaky rogues!" she snarled and ran towards Slash again.

Darkclaw sighed and ran forward, grabbing her by the scruff of her neck. He couldn't stand to see a young she-cat get beaten up by rogues like this.

As the dark tom held onto the squirming she-cat, Slash opened his mouth to say something. Whitefeather slapped her tail across his jaws before he could.

"We're leaving," she announced. "We didn't come here to pick a fight. That may have been Bonetail's intention, but we're only in this place to restock our supply of herbs." Then she gazed affectionately at Darkclaw and the gray she-cat. "You're pretty strong, you know that?" she mewed. "Take care of her for me."

Through a mouthful of fur, Darkclaw grunted a reply. Slash reluctantly padded after his mate into the bushes.

"Let me go!" the gray she-cat shrieked, but to no avail. Only after the rogues had left did Darkclaw release her.

"What did you do that for?" the she-cat snapped, spinning around. "You let them get away when we could have taken them!"

"Oh, I understand you now," Darkclaw snarled back. "You're an idiot who rushes into things without thinking because you're an idiot! And if you didn't notice, I was just trying to get around those two. My real target is their leader, Bonetail."

"Well, let's go get him then!" the she-cat exclaimed, instantly pleased.

"No, you're staying here," Darkclaw ordered. "I don't want you getting hurt. Talk all you want, but you're barely more than a kit."

She beamed at him. _This she-cat reminds me of Tidepaw. As if one of her wasn't annoying enough already._

"Don't you know who I am?" the gray she-cat asked, striking a pose. "It seems like you need enlightenment! I am often called Ace, the Rogue Hunter. That's right! I am not merely-"

Darkclaw hit her, disgusted. He turned and ran in Bonetail's direction, not caring if the she-cat followed. Secretly, he had hoped that there was a powerful tom watching ShadowClan from the shadows. He had wanted an ally, someone who would draw Bonetail out for him. In the end, he had placed his hopes in a stupid she-cat with a flair for the dramatic. Sure, there was Arise. But even though the tortoiseshell tom had kept his promise, Darkclaw still didn't trust him.

He reached the end of the solid ground. A swamp stretched before him, one with only a few patches of stable earth. The dark tom leaped onto the closest patch, crossing the swamp as quickly as he could.

After he had crossed a few patches, a small island came into view. There, looming on a larger patch of solid ground, was Bonetail. The muscular white tom had pinned Dawnfern to the ground. Darkclaw could tell that he was speaking with the ThunderClan medicine cat, but only after getting closer could he hear the words being exchanged.

"I'm a medicine cat!" Dawnfern snapped at him. "What do you think?"

"If I was going to let natural prejudices cloud my judgement, I wouldn't bother asking you would I?" Bonetail snarled. "Now then, you still haven't answered my question. Be honest, or I'll kill you right here and now. Have you seen them in the last few moons?"

Dawnfern stared up at him. "No, no I haven't," she admitted, guilt tingeing her mew. "But how do you know that?"

"I simply keep an open mind," Bonetail purred. "And for the information you have given me, I thank you."

"I finally caught up to you, Bonetail!" Darkclaw yowled as he landed on the island. Beside him, Ace fell to the ground. She had made a clumsy, yet successful, attempt at keeping up with him.

"Ah, my apprentice," Bonetail greeted him. "If Dawnfern turns up dead on ShadowClan territory, it would cause a war between ShadowClan and ThunderClan, wouldn't you think? But then again, I've already done what I needed to do. So for now, you can just go on remembering how I spared you."

The massive white tom turned and casually leaped onto one of the patches that served as stepping-stones. Darkclaw took a glance at Dawnfern, then ran after Bonetail.

At the same time, Ace tried to leap after Bonetail as well. She collided with Darkclaw, and he slipped into the swamp as Ace chased after the rogue leader.

He flailed around frantically as he tried to grab hold of the island. _Am I going to die? Because that would be really, really stupid._ Just then, he felt jaws grab hold of his scruff. Relaxing, he managed to get a grip on the island and pull himself up next to Dawnfern, his rescuer.

"Thanks," he mewed.

The small she-cat nodded shyly.

"What's wrong with you now?" asked Darkclaw. "What were you talking about with Bonetail?"

"Nothing that concerns you," she snapped, a little too hastily.

"Oh, it definitely concerns me," the dark tom replied. "If he said something about his plans, then it could be the key to defeating him."

"No, it was medicine cat issues, and ThunderClan ones at that," she hissed. "It has to do with this prophecy I received, okay? I don't know how Bonetail knew about it, but obviously ShadowClan has nothing to do with a ThunderClan prophecy. I'm going to talk with Sunstorm about it when I get back. As I am a medicine cat, you have no power that will make me tell you anything. Understood?" She glared at him, but there was fear in her eyes.

"Yeah, whatever," sighed Darkclaw. She was clearly lying, but Darkclaw had seen the same stubborn look many times from Foxwhisker. He wouldn't get any information by pressing her on the subject. "Now then, let's go see what we can find at the ruins."

…

"Why, if you weren't such an idiot, I could almost say I was proud of you," Foxwhisker purred.

Darkclaw grunted as he followed her back to the camp.

They hadn't just found Moonleaf seeds in the ShadowClan camp ruins. They had actually managed to find a Moonleaf crop, one with even more Moonleaves than Foxwhisker had managed to gather. With Dawnfern's assistance, they had taken the Moonleaves out of the camp and replanted them in a more accessible location. It had taken a long time, and as Darkclaw stalked back towards his home, the sun was setting.

As he pushed through the wall, he heard an excited shout.

"Darkclaw, Cherrynose, come quick!" Stonepaw squeaked. "Blackfur is awake!"

Darkclaw nodded at him, feeling purely content for the first time that day. _You're okay, father. That's good. Don't make it look like you're going away any time soon._

Foxwhisker interrupted him with a brush of her tail. "Just because he's awake doesn't mean he's okay," she snapped. "He still needs plenty of rest. Maybe later they can talk to him, but for now, the most he should do is eat some fresh-kill."

"But, I want to talk to my father," Cherrynose purred.

Foxwhisker sighed. "I'm sorry," she mewed. "It's just my way. You'll have to wait for him to regain his strength anyway."

"Fine, you old rat-brain!" Darkclaw snapped. "I'll go catch myself some food."

He stormed off out of the camp. It had been a long day, and he needed some solitude.

He found himself walking back to his training area. _That's fine. I might as well do some training._ He grunted and settled into his stance. Just as he was about to start, he heard a rustle from a nearby bush.

"Alright, who's there?" he screamed, spinning around.

"Agh, sorry Darkclaw!" came the squeak of Ace, the Rogue Hunter. "I just saw you passing by and wanted to say hello."

The dark tom relaxed at the sight of the gray she-cat. "So, how do you know my name?" he asked, intrigued.

Ace's ears twitched and she smiled, looking embarrassed. "You know that tom called Arise?" she asked. "Well, I was hiding in this very bush when you met him. It's how I knew where Bonetail would be today. So, you're here for your daily training? A little late, don't you think?"

"Oh," he grunted. "What did you think you could accomplish by hiding in a bush?"

She smiled, in an irritating way that yet again reminded him of Tidepaw. "I come here often to watch you train," she explained. "You're great at fighting, so you're a good source for tips. By the way, what kind of a name is 'Darkclaw' anyway?"

"It's a Clan name!" he snapped back. "It shows that I'm a warrior of ShadowClan! I would never give it up! Besides, what kind of name is 'Ace, the Rogue Hunter'? Isn't that overly dramatic?"

"My father's name is Dragon and my mother's name is Wendy," Ace explained. "They're both pretty well known in the Twolegplace I come from. They travel around, and when cats are in danger, they lend a paw! I wanted to live up to that legacy, so I came here to warn the Clans of the coming danger. But when I found out about the threats you were facing, I decided to change my name and join you in your struggle. My parents named my 'Glace', which means ice or something. I find that ridiculous. If they wanted to name me that, why not just call me 'Ice'? So I took off the beginning of 'Glace' and got-"

"Shut up!" snapped Darkclaw. "Great StarClan, do you know how much you talk?"

Ace shrunk back. "Sorry," she squeaked.

Darkclaw shrugged. At least she was telling him things that were slightly more interesting than the stories the elders told. "So, what kind of threats were you talking about?" he asked.

Ace shivered. "Like, there's Reaper," the gray she-cat explained. "She's raising an army to destroy you all. Really, she's a lot like Bonetail."

"Whatever," the dark tom sighed. "Crazed she-cats are nothing Clan cats can't handle. I think Slash proved that to you early."

Ace shook her head. "I already learned that when I tried to take on the rogues a few weeks ago," she explained. "But, you don't understand. Dragon is trying to deal with Reaper, and yet I worry for him. I'm here where it's safe, trying to make a name for myself. But one of Reaper's cats, Lord Decay, is really strong. Stronger even than you! Keep your eyes peeled, okay?"

Darkclaw shrugged. "Well, it's been great chatting about my impending doom," he mewed, "but I really have to get back to my Clan. Maybe we can talk again tomorrow morning, Glace?"

"Wait!" mewed the she-cat as she blocked his way. "I did something terrible to you earlier, and that's why you got angry at me earlier. I don't know what it was, but I wanted to make it up to you."

"Can't that wait for tomorrow?" Darkclaw asked.

"I know where the rogue camp is," Ace said.

Darkclaw grinned, filled with a sudden interest. _At long last, I'll take the fight to you, Bonetail._

"How intriguing," he mused. "Yes, that is indeed a very interesting revelation, indeed."

**To be continued…**

**Thanks for reading, as always! Now that the mysterious Ace, the Rogue Hunter has finally revealed herself, what do you think of her?**

**Also, question of the chapter: All seven medicine cats have finally spoken and had a bit of characterization. (Some more than others, right Nightheart?) Out of Snowcloud, Nightheart, Rainpaw, Foxwhisker, Stonepaw, Sunstorm, and Dawnfern, which one is your favourite?**

**Oh, and a bit of news about the next update. Chapter 7 will be about Tidepaw's adventures, but that's not what's coming next. Instead, after every sixth chapter, there's an interlude about one of the side characters. It should be coming soon, as I'm already half finished it. It's fairly short, and explains just what is going on with ThunderClan in this chapter. (It's also ridiculously fun to write.)**

**Anyway, see you soon!**


	8. Interlude 1 Hazelfrost

**Here we are with our very first interlude chapter. I had a lot of fun writing it, but don't expect Hazelfrost to be joining the main cast at any point. As always, thanks for reading! I hope you enjoy this new instalment.**

**Interlude 1**

_The Reaper stirs. The Watcher lingers on the edge of victory. The Tide, guiding the river, seeks the source of its stream. Darkness, born in the shadows, takes its revenge. Leaves, scattered about by wind, find their true purpose._

_Ragnarok approaches._

_"The Winds of Death are blowing."_

…

Things had a habit of dying around Hazelfrost.

At least, that was how she thought of it. In reality, death came to all things, regardless of Hazelfrost's presence. Her mother, father, and brother had all died, but that didn't change mortality among the Clans, right?

The day was still young as she headed away from the ShadowClan border, Fireheart at her side. Darkclaw had been a strong opponent, but she felt fine. If she needed to, she could fight a few more vicious battles before the day was done.

"Are you sure you're alright?" the ginger tom asked. "I really wouldn't mind letting you lean on me."

"Fireheart, you're obsessed with giving help to cats who don't need it," Hazelfrost replied. "It will take more than a single ShadowClan tom to render me useless."

The ginger warrior sighed, but he didn't protest. Instead, he fell back with the rest of the patrol. Hazelfrost headed towards the camp, relaxing as the sun started its ascent. Soon, its light would spread all around the forest, allowing all things to bask in the warmth.

Beside Hazelfrost, some invisible cat seemed to float, whispering in her ear. _"The day has come. You've lingered for a long time, Hazelfrost. Now, you have to stop planning and start acting."_

The brown she-cat nodded. She had interrogated each one of the voices in an attempt to discern between the real ones and the ones she merely imagined. Although she hadn't yet figured them all out, being imaginary didn't make any of the voices less truthful. They were completely correct when they spoke to her. It was time to take action.

And, more importantly, it was time to have her revenge.

…

Hazelfrost let out a contented sigh as she finished gulping down a squirrel. Her sister Risingleaf gave her an amused glance, which she responded to with a shrug.

"I guess we'll need a new patrol now," Risingleaf teased. "We need to make sure that you don't doom the Clan by eating the whole pile."

"I need to keep my strength up," Hazelfrost responded.

"For what?" asked her sister. "Are you worried about Bonetail?"

Hazelfrost was about to explain her glorious plan, but one of the voices interrupted her thoughts. _"What are you thinking, telling her before you've completed your goal? You could ruin everything!"_

"She's my sister," Hazelfrost muttered under her breath. "I can trust her."

The voice considered this for a moment before responding. _"Yes, but can you trust your Clanmates not to overhear? When you've finished your work, you can tell Risingleaf everything. But until then, keep it a secret. Let it come as a pleasant surprise to her."_

The brown she-cat nodded. The voice was right, of course. If she wanted to, she could explain her goal to Risingleaf. But if she did, she would undoubtedly have to waste time explaining her reasons. What good would that do?

"Yes, I'm keeping my eyes peeled for Bonetail," she told Risingleaf.

Her sister nodded, accepting the answer. Just then, Jaytalon strode into the camp, eyes dark with misery.

"Still no luck?" Hazelfrost asked him.

He shook his head. "I've searched everywhere, but Mousepaw is nowhere to be found," he explained. "But, he can't just be dead! He has to be somewhere, right?"

"You'll find him," she reassured him, touching his flank with her tail. "You have more devotion to your Clan than most cats I know. In the end, Mousepaw will definitely return and stand by your side."

Jaytalon nodded, but he didn't look like he believed her.

"Speaking of missing cats, have you seen Sandstone anywhere?" she asked.

Jaytalon recoiled as if struck. "I think she's out on a hunting patrol," he muttered before turning and padding away.

"_Idiot! Why did you ask him about it? You know that he was unjustly cheated of the deputy position when Lightningblaze murdered me. How could you think that he would react positively to hearing about the cat who has what he should have had?"_

Hazelfrost knew that Whisperwing's voice was one of the imaginary ones, but every word the former deputy had just spoken to her was completely correct. She wanted to run up to Jaytalon and apologize, but that action would waste precious time. Instead, she would apologize to him through her actions.

"I'm going out," she told her sister. "See you soon."

Risingleaf nodded as Hazelfrost left the camp.

"_The time has finally come."_

"Yes," she agreed. "I'm looking forward to it."

…

Hazelfrost didn't waste any time locating the Clan deputy. She found Sandstone not too far from a camp. The she-cat was carefully stalking a mouse, but that wouldn't suit Hazelfrost.

"You're needed," she snapped to the deputy.

Sandstone looked up, now aware of Hazelfrost's presence. "Is Thornstar having a meeting?" she asked, green eyes showing puzzlement.

Hazelfrost smirked. "You're needed," she repeated, "in the Dark Forest!" Then, unsheathing her claws, she leaped at Sandstone.

This took the deputy by surprise. Hazelfrost raked her claws across Sandstone's side, revelling in simple thrill of having the deputy's blood pour onto her paws. Laughing, she licked it up. "That's where you belong!" she sneered. "I'll be happy to send you there."

She bit down hard on Sandstone's leg, then slammed into the deputy. Sandstone fell to the ground with a satisfying _thud_. Slowly, the deputy stood up and tried to limp away. Hazelfrost lazily followed. She was going to kill this she-cat, but first she needed answers.

"Hazelfrost, what do you think you're doing?" Sandstone weakly asked. "Have you gone mad?"

Hazelfrost snarled. "Vengeance!" she screamed. "I want to know everything. Why did you kill my mother?"

Sandstone stared at her, whiskers twitching in confusion. _"Confusion, or maybe guilt. You'll learn the truth now."_

"You mean Goldenfoot?" the deputy asked. "Hazelfrost, she was killed by a fox. You know that."

"Liar!" screamed Hazelfrost as she leapt at Sandstone. "Traitor! Murderer! You think you can fool me with that tired old story? Lightningblaze said that a fox killed Whisperwing, but everyone knows that he did it. And all his work was so that a wretched cat like you could steal Jaytalon's rightful position!" She sliced through the deputy's muzzle, then slammed into her side.

"Explain it to me," Hazelfrost snarled as Sandstone fell to the ground. "If a fox did kill my mother, then why did that fox look exactly like you? Only the finest of lies suit the Clan deputy."

Sandstone weakly met her glare with a look of helplessness. "Hazelfrost, you have to stop this," she pleaded. "Goldenfoot was alone when she died. How would I know what the fox looked like? How would you know what it looked like? This isn't you. Someone else is manipulating you for their own ends. Work with me, and together we can find the truth."

Hazelfrost stared at the deputy, growling. Sandstone's look of utter helplessness was definitely genuine. It was a look she'd seen before. In her dreams, her father had looked that way just before he'd died. And in her waking hours, her brother had looked that way when she'd killed him. For a moment, she was almost swayed into stopping, into trusting Sandstone.

Then, Whisperwing's voice returned to her. _"She's lying! She may remind you of departed loved ones, but she's a snake who isn't to be trusted. Your mother pleaded with Sandstone just as Sandstone pleads with you now. Don't be a coward Hazelfrost. Only you can expose the truth!"_

Hazelfrost nodded, resolve flooding her. She kicked Sandstone in the stomach, snarling at her deceit. "You think you're oh so clever because the Clan swallowed the lies you fed them," Hazelfrost hissed. "But you overlooked me. You can fool the rest of ThunderClan, but I know what you truly are! The voices in my head told me everything! They told me how to see through your lies!"

She savoured the look of utter despair in Sandstone's eyes. The deputy was still for a moment. Then she nodded, after spitting out a mouthful of her own blood.

"You win, Hazelfrost," Sandstone mewed wearily. "Goldenfoot was a… well, she died at my paws. I'll tell you everything, if only in hope that you won't stray to the path your mother followed."

Hazelfrost grinned at the deputy. "The time for lies is over," she hissed.

And just then, all her glorious plans were interrupted by a yowl filled with pure horror. She turned to face the intruder.

"H-Hazelfrost, what in StarClan's name do you think you're doing?" stuttered Jaytalon, sweat pouring down his whiskers.

"I'm taking my revenge!" she hissed. "Jaytalon, can't you see it? I'm doing this for you as well! Once I kill this wretched she-cat, there will be nobody standing in the way! You can finally achieve your dream of becoming Clan deputy!"

Jaytalon shook his head. "Never," he replied. "If I'm going to make my dreams become reality, I'll do it the right way. Not like- nothing like this!"

"Traitor!" Hazelfrost shrieked. "You can die too, when I'm done with her."

She padded over to the deputy, preparing to deal a killing blow. "Sorry Goldenfoot," she whispered. "I'll have to avenge you without knowing the reason behind your murder."

As she went to make her move, Jaytalon rushed forward with lightning speed. He threw himself in front of Sandstone, knocking Hazelfrost aside.

"Run, Hazelfrost," he snarled through barred fangs. "Run and don't come back. If I see you again, I'll kill you. I promise you, I'll never let anyone hurt my Clanmates!"

"Fine," Hazelfrost snapped. "Your Clan of traitors and murderers can collapse on itself. And then, you'll die just like everyone else."

She turned and hurried away. As she fled, she could hear Jaytalon and the deputy talking.

"Sandstone, are you alright?" asked Jaytalon, worry edging his mew.

"I don't know," Sandstone replied. "I'm sorry, Jaytalon. Thank you for saving me."

"I'll always save you," he whispered. "I'll hold you, and never let go."

Hazelfrost screamed as her paws carried her out of ThunderClan territory and into an unknown world.

…

Hazelfrost slowed down, panting as she trudged across the moorland. The breeze cooled her, but she couldn't imagine ever living on WindClan territory. She felt exposed, a feeling amplified by the knowledge that her former Clanmates were probably hunting her. She'd considered hiding out in the tunnels, but that would be much too obvious. They'd check there for sure.

Just then, a familiar voice spoke to her. _"Ah, Hazelfrost. I thank you for your service to me, but it appears that Sandstone still lives."_

Hazelfrost nodded. "I'm sorry, Arise," she murmured. "I failed to kill her. A warrior called Jaytalon interrupted me, and he would have killed me had I not fled."

There was a long pause as Arise considered what to say. Then, the tom responded. _"Very well. Sandstone needs to fall, but her demise can wait. I have a much more important job for you, if you would be willing to travel. Your new mission will take you into the mountains, where you must locate a tom named Rock."_

Hazelfrost smiled at Arise's words. The mountains would make a perfect hiding place. ThunderClan would never think that she would travel that far away. "I can go to the mountains," she replied. "But, Sandstone will be prepared for my next attack, won't she?"

The voice in her head chuckled. _"You don't need to worry about that. There's a young she-cat in RiverClan who I could compel into aiding you. Now, before you begin your journey, I need you to retrieve something from the moor."_

"What is it?" asked Hazelfrost.

"_It's a spike, placed in the land by the vengeful tom who Watches the four Clans. You'll need to take off a small part of it. Don't take too much, or the Watcher will know that you've been there."_ Instantly, the image of the moor flashed through Hazelfrost's mind. _"You see, if your mission is successful, you'll lose all connection to me. However, you can use this spike to restore it. I'll explain how you can do that at a later time."_

Hazelfrost grinned as she headed in the direction of the spike. "You can count on me, Arise," she told him.

"_Wait a moment. It looks like a Foretelling has come upon me. I'll have to leave you now. Obtain the spike, and await further instruction."_ And with that, Arise disappeared from her mind.

Hazelfrost continued on her way through the moor, feeling elated. Even if Sandstone still lived, she had a purpose again. Arise had given her a new mission, and she aimed to complete it.

_"You'll leave the Clans, but only briefly. You'll be back soon. And when you return, the liars and thieves and traitors and murderers had better watch out."_

"Because then Hazelfrost will stalk the night."

**To be continued…**

**So what do you think? I've put clues everywhere, but in tandem with Chapter 6 this has the largest hints so far as to what's going on in the world. As always, thanks for reading.**

**Also, I just want to say that Hazelfrost isn't The Deliverer, but The Deliverer has appeared in the first six chapters. I wonder if you can pick her out?**

**Also, if you like _Golden Dawn_, my friend IcepathX is writing a story called _Silent Skies_. It's pretty interesting, and I'm doing some editing for her, so you'll see some of my writing style in there too. I have it in my favourites, so if you have the time, check it out! (Her chapters aren't as ridiculously long as mine, trust me.)**

**Thanks for reading! I hope to see again you soon!**


	9. Chapter 7 Tidepaw

**Sorry for taking so long on this chapter. Tidepaw chapters are always the hardest to write. Chapter 10 (her next chapter) probably won't take as long to write, so you don't need to worry about that. Also, today, January 21, 2013, is the 10th Anniversary of _Warriors_! I hope you enjoy that **

**Chapter 7**

Tidepaw and Copperpaw danced through the water as they fought. They wrestled in the water for a few moments, then moved back to catch their breath. The water churned around them, displaced droplets sparkling in the sunlight.

Tidepaw surveyed the reddish brown tom. He was obviously tiring, and had barely been able to dodge when she had last swooped forward to strike him. It was clear who would win this fight.

"I'm getting tired of this," Copperpaw complained. "Let's just hurry up and get it over with, okay?"

"With pleasure," Tidepaw replied.

Ignoring the ever-present throbbing in her scar, she faked a lunge forward. While Copperpaw was distracted, Tidepaw flicked splashed him with her tail, momentarily blinding him. Then, tapping her power for an extra boost of speed, she swept Copperpaw's legs from underneath him. He started to spit out a curse, but it was cut off as he fell into the water.

"I win!" she declared. The rumbling in her stomach kicked in immediately, reminding her that winning a play wasn't that impressive of an achievement.

Twenty-one sunrises, exactly three quarter moons, had passed since the Gathering. Even without the threat of rogues and the lack of fish, this day would still have felt downcast. It was a somber day, one where tragedy had struck the Clans.

Exactly six moons before, Snowcloud had lost her mentor Cloverstem, while ThunderClan had lost its deputy Whisperwing. And, along with the deaths of those two noble she-cats, Lightningblaze's honour had been tarnished forever when his Clanmates had wordlessly judged him guilty of murder. _This is a day of loss. When something important is taken from us, the void that it leaves behind can never be refilled. The piercing hunger for what has forsaken us can't ever be satisfied. Our innocence, our friendships, our loved ones…yeah, I know a bit about loss._

Copperpaw glanced at her impatiently. "Would you mind helping me up?" he asked. "I'm kind of stuck."

Through the water, Tidepaw could see that the older apprentice had gotten his paw wedged in between some rocks on the lakebed. She dove into the water and clamped her jaws around his paw, trying to free it. Soon, her vision grew fuzzy and she felt herself running out of air. Rather than go up for more, she tapped into her power and drew more oxygen into herself. With full lungs, she managed to pull Copperpaw's paw free.

Her work done, Tidepaw swam back to the surface and grabbed Copperpaw's scruff. Heaving, she dragged the apprentice to the shore, then sighed as she let him drop to the ground.

"Thanks, Tidepaw!" the apprentice purred. "I wasn't expecting a small cat like you to be so strong." Tidepaw smiled at him.

The other apprentices swarmed them. Copperpaw's sister Streampaw darted over to her brother, concern showing in her eyes. Meanwhile, Wildpaw and his sister Quillpaw moved to congratulate Tidepaw on her victory.

"You did great!" Quillpaw mewed.

"Strong as always," agreed Wildpaw.

"Thanks you two," Tidepaw replied, nodding to them. She wished that Brightpaw was with her, but her sister had been sicklier than ever in the recent days.

"I think I messed up my paw," Copperpaw loudly complained. "I can't handle any more training while I'm like this."

"I'll take him back to the camp," Tidepaw volunteered. "Then Nightheart and Rainpaw can take a look at him." Quillpaw's mentor Scaleshine, Streampaw's mentor Swiftstrike, and Wildpaw's mentor Amberfang were all present. However, the other two mentors, Graywave and Roseblossom, were absent. Copperpaw didn't have a mentor looking out for him at the moment.

Mistfur, who was leading the exercises, nodded. "You can go ahead, Tidepaw," she agreed. "If I forced him to fight, then I'd just be forcing further injuries on him."

Tidepaw bowed to the deputy and padded over to Copperpaw. She let the reddish-brown tom lean on her as they headed back towards the camp.

Behind them, Mistfur gave out further instructions. "Okay, it's time to practice team fighting," she declared. "Everybody goes into the water."

The three apprentices jumped into the water, splashing about as they did.

"I said _everybody_ goes in," Mistfur repeated. "That means mentors too."

Swiftstrike and Scaleshine went in without protest, but Amberfang stood on the shore and grumbled. Then the dark tabby reluctantly followed the other warriors into the stream.

"Thanks," Copperpaw hissed to Tidepaw.

"It's no problem," Tidepaw replied. "You didn't think I'd let you go back alone, did you?"

"Thanks for that too, but I was thanking you for not killing me," Copperpaw explained. "You're ferocious beyond measure."

Tidepaw sighed. _Is fighting all I'm good for? I know you mean well Copperpaw, but even with this power of mine, I can't protect the Clan from hunger's grip._

…

Nearly half a moon ago, Tidepaw had stood on the shore of the lake and seen the wounds from her fight with Darkclaw vanish. Now she knew that her power wasn't just for healing wounds. Through testing, she had found that she had a hidden reserve of strength, one that she could tap into to improve her capabilities. Tidepaw could draw strength, wakefulness, speed, and all manner of other things into herself. She still wasn't sure why StarClan had granted her this power, but she was determined to help her Clan with it.

But in the moments when she was confronted by RiverClan's hunger, Tidepaw worried that her Clan could never be saved.

She stood in the medicine den, watching Rainpaw treat Copperpaw. Outside a storm was breaking, but the den kept the apprentices safe from the downpour.

"That's my sister for you," Copperpaw said as Rainpaw finished applying herbs to his paw. "I'm feeling better already!"

The gray medicine apprentice blinked. "That may be the case, but you're still hurt," she warned him. "You'll need to rest for a little while so that you don't put stress on your paw. I would advise some sunning, but with the weather outside, that's not too likely. And for the last time, would you stop calling me your-"

Copperpaw stopped her with his tail. "Blood isn't everything," he insisted. "Yes, you were born a loner. But in our litter, you could feel joy and pain just as much as any Clanborn cat. We _are_ a family, even if our blood says otherwise."

"You still insist on having me in your family then?" Rainpaw asked. "Well Copperpaw, keep on believing, and never give up on your faith in StarClan."

Copperpaw nodded. "Now if you'll excuse me, I'll head back to my den," he mewed. The reddish-brown tom hobbled out of the den and into the storm.

"He always tries to rely on himself," Tidepaw purred. "Even when he talks about kin, he forgets that Clan cats look out for each other. He didn't even ask for someone to help him back to his den. Ah well. I wouldn't fancy going out there and swimming on land."

Rainpaw smiled. "More than one cat in this Clan tries to shoulder everything on their own," she replied, rubbing up against Tidepaw. "Are you _sure_ you're feeling okay?"

Tidepaw stepped back from her gray friend. "I'm fine, really," she insisted.

"That's exactly what I'm talking about," Rainpaw mewed, moving quickly to Tidepaw's side again. "You don't need to carry all your pain by yourself. Lean on me and Wildpaw and all your other friends. That's what we're here for."

"Rainpaw, you're even stormier than the weather outside!" Tidepaw teased, trying to distract her friend. "Have you had another run-in with that WindClan tom or something?"

Rainpaw ducked back a bit, embarrassed. "He swore revenge and all that stuff," she explained. "Nothing special."

The two she-cats sat together, sheltering from the downpour just outside the cave. For one simple moment, all was calm. Brightpaw was sleeping peacefully in a nearby nest, and Tidepaw nodded to herself. Her sister was safe in here, for now. But there were still things out there that threatened the Clans. _I will protect you, Brightpaw. It's the only worthwhile thing I can do._

The storm began to give way, and the rain subsided. Tidepaw flicked her tail in farewell and padded out of the medicine den. Rainpaw nodded, heading over to sort through the herbs.

The other apprentices were just returning to the camp as Tidepaw stepped out of the den. Wildpaw noticed her, and immediately bounded over to her. Amberfang followed his apprentice and sat down at Tidepaw's other side. The blue-gray she-cat smirked at him. _I'm not afraid of you._

"Tidepaw, I've been learning plenty!" Wildpaw said. "Next time we fight, I'm sure to defeat you."

"How about we face off tonight?" Tidepaw suggested. "We'll see who's learned the most. And the loser has to-"

"Complete some arbitrarily humiliating task?" offered Amberfang. "That's how apprentice competitions usually seem to work."

"Sounds great," Wildpaw mewed. "Like, what both of you said." Then his eyes narrowed as he glanced over at the fresh-kill pile. Tidepaw followed his gaze. The pile was filled with meagre pickings-a few fish, and some prey taken from WindClan territory.

"Why can't the other Clans just share something with us?" he asked. "They've certainly been fattened up."

"Such is the nature of greed," Amberfang purred. "It's easy to say that you have ideals, but acting on them could bring a disadvantage to your self. And so, they simply look the other way. But of course, acting on ideals can have its own problems."

He was cut short as Graywave padded into the camp, followed by four WindClan cats. Tidepaw recognized Galeflight, but the ginger tom's companions were unfamiliar to her.

Mistfur, the Clan deputy, padded over to greet the WindClan patrol. "Oh, it's you guys again," she mewed. "You need anything?"

Galeflight nodded nervously. "Well, uh, we sort of need to, er…" he started.

"I'll explain, idiot," snapped his companion, a brown tabby she-cat. "We want an audience with the Clan. Ravenstar sent us."

"I'll go get Otterstar then," Mistfur mewed.

"That sounds good," mewed a gray tom with the group. "This place is too damp for my liking."

"You're not the runt you were when I last saw you, Pinefur," Mistfur teased.

Pinefur shrugged. "I've been training," he mewed.

As Mistfur headed off to Otterstar's den, Wildpaw rushed over to the WindClan group. "Are you Galeflight's apprentice?" he asked a light brown tom. "How do you fight in WindClan?"

"Sure am," the tom replied. "My name's Harepaw. In WindClan, we focus on speed and-"

"Awesome, then we can fight sometime!" Wildpaw mewed.

"I fear it may come to that," Galeflight mentioned. He glanced at the ground nervously.

"So it's all set," Wildpaw declared. "The loser has to make some sappy love confession to a ShadowClan she-cat."

"You're on!" replied Harepaw.

Tidepaw smiled. Wildpaw tried to make friendships with everyone.

Mistfur padded out of Otterstar's den, bringing the leader with her. Otterstar climbed onto a rock and called the Clan together.

"Why has Ravenstar sent this patrol?" Otterstar asked Galeflight.

Galeflight glanced around uncertainly. "Ravenstar has decided not to tolerate RiverClan's repeated…hunting on our territory," he explained, pausing between his words. "He's offering, well…"

He trailed off, and the tabby she-cat stepped in beside him. "If you're too much of an idiot to speak, I might as well take over," she snapped. "Ravenstar is sick and tired of RiverClan taking our prey." She flicked her tail towards a rabbit in the fresh-kill pile. "He's not going to put up with any of you fish-breaths stealing food. Against my wishes, Ravenstar is offering a bit of mercy. You have until the next Gathering to stop taking our prey. If not, there will be a battle. And mark my words, your Clan won't be on the winning side."

"I'm sorry," Galeflight said after his Clanmate had finished. "But fear not. I'll make a promise."

"Shut up with your promises, okay?" the brown she-cat interrupted. "We're going home."

Galeflight shrunk back, and the brown she-cat led the patrol out of RiverClan camp. She didn't even wait for Otterstar's response.

"That's another problem with ideals," Amberfang hissed to Tidepaw. "Some cats _do_ follow them with absolute conviction. They craft themselves into the image of their ideals, and do not fail to follow them. But when they're beaten down by all around them, when the very world rejects their principles, they themselves will shatter like ice. Beware, young she-cat."

Tidepaw shrugged and groomed herself as the warriors discussed WindClan's threats. She focused on her black paw more than anything else. It was always there, a clear indicator of her guilt.

Just then, Roseblossom's hunting patrol entered the camp. Their ragged pelts were covered with scratches, and their steps were heavy with fatigue. They carried no prey in their jaws.

"What happened?" asked Willowfern. She rushed over to them in alarm.

"Reedfur and some of Bonetail's other rogues ambushed us," Roseblossom mewed. "They took the fish we managed to catch."

Willowfern's eyes darkened with anger and loss. "Why did he have to leave us?" she muttered. "Did he ever care about me or our kits?" Willowfern still hadn't gotten over Reedfur leaving her to join Bonetail's rogues.

"He's got some WindClan mate now," snapped Roseblossom. "Whitefeather or something. Get a hold of yourself and move on! He's not coming back."

"I've made up my mind!" declared Otterstar as Willowfern shivered with emotion. "Twolegs and the late thaw have made the catch much poorer, but Bonetail and his rogues are taking away from what little we have. If we can stop him, then maybe we'll be able to hang on for a little bit longer."

"So, like, we stop Bonetail and everything goes back to bein' rainbows?" asked Finflutter. "We gonna yell at them to go away or somethin'?"

Otterstar shook her head. "I've got a plan," she said. "But first, I'll need to make a patrol."

"What do you need the patrol for?" asked Roseblossom. "Can't you just tell us your plan first?"

Otterstar grinned. "The patrol comes first," she said. "And that's because we're going to ShadowClan."

…

Tidepaw followed Otterstar's brisk pace as the group headed toward the ShadowClan border. Graywave had been picked for the patrol, and Otterstar had agreed without question when he had asked to bring Tidepaw along. The Clan leader seemed distracted as she marched. Whether she was mentally running over her plans or pondering Ravenstar's threats, Tidepaw could not tell.

Tidepaw kept close to Rainpaw as she walked. Otterstar had allowed the gray medicine apprentice to tag along so that she could talk with the ShadowClan medicine cats. Nightheart had fallen ill, and Rainpaw meant to find a cure for her mentor.

Also on the patrol were Grasstail, Amberfang, and Skystorm. As always, Grasstail was nervous. He glanced at the area behind him every few seconds, and jumped at every flicker of movement from the forested area they traveled through.

Otterstar brought the group to a stop, motioning to show that they had reached the border. "Now it's time to wait for a patrol," she mewed.

Tidepaw sat herself in the grass next to Rainpaw. The two she-cats waited outside the dark forest, neither exchanging words.

Finally, the medicine apprentice broke the silence. "Why do you think StarClan sends prophecies?" she asked.

Tidepaw hadn't been expecting this kind of question from her friend. "I suppose it's to guide us along the right path," she suggested. "They tell us what has yet to come so that we can prepare to take action."

Rainpaw shook her head. "That doesn't make sense," she said. "If all events are predetermined, they'll come to pass without StarClan's interference. Like the story of Bramblestar and Hawkfrost. The medicine cat only figured out what their prophecy meant after everything was finished. Or in the Blood Purge. Dawnstripe's prophecy was only unravelled after she became a martyr for peace."

"The Blood Purge?" asked Tidepaw. "I don't think I've heard that one."

"Some cat claiming to be Scourge nearly wiped out RiverClan," Rainpaw explained. "It's a really long story, and the elders told me it over the span of several days. I spend a lot of my free time listening in on the stories that the elders tell to the kits. But let's not get off topic here."

Tidepaw shrugged. "StarClan cares about us then," she mewed. "They send prophecies to let us know that we aren't alone. They want us to know that they'll be right beside us for every step of our lives."

"Maybe," mewed Rainpaw. "But even so, they really could do better than a few vague words that won't make sense for moons."

The arrival of the ShadowClan patrol took away any chance that Tidepaw had for a counterargument. Three cats had come to recognize the border, and Tidepaw knew all of them. The leader was Sootstain, a white tom with black spots. Following behind him were a brown-and-white she-cat called Finchwing and Darkclaw. Painful memories flashed before Tidepaw's eyes, and she reflexively massaged her scar. _If only I could have been a better cat. If only I could have been a better sister._

"Hey guys, I think RiverClan have organized a protest," mewed Finchwing.

"How wonderful," grumbled Darkclaw.

"What brings you here, Otterstar?" Sootstain asked, ignoring his Clanmates.

"I seek an audience with Duskstar," the RiverClan leader explained. "Would you mind granting us entrance to your territory and an escort to your camp?"

"You brought seven cats for that?" Darkclaw snapped. "It looks to me like you're planning an invasion."

Sootstain nodded. "Usually I would quiet him, but Darkclaw has a valid point," he said. "Either explain why you have brought so many cats, or come alone."

Otterstar nodded, a deceptively submissive look in her eyes.

"_I_ am here to speak with Duskstar," she explained. "Graywave and Amberfang are here to join our discussion. Duskstar can match them with her own warriors if it pleases her. Graywave asked if he could bring Tidepaw along and show her what the other Clans are like. I agreed to that. Rainpaw is here to speak with Foxwhisker and Stonepaw, although the subject isn't your business. Is that a good enough explanation?"

"That's five of you," grunted Sootstain. "Why are you bringing the other two?"

"You mean Grasstail and Skystorm?" Otterstar asked. The milky white she-cat smirked. "I thought you might want to see your kits again."

Sootstain's fur stuck up and he spat a curse at her. For a moment, Tidepaw thought he would attack them. Then Skystorm walked over to him and draped her tail across his fur. The ShadowClan tom sighed and seemed to calm.

"So nobody is ever going to let me forget that one night I spent with a RiverClan she-cat?" Sootstain asked. "At least you're showing consistency. I'll play along with your game, Otterstar. Just don't try anything."

After the ShadowClan cats had finished setting the border, they took the RiverClan patrol to the camp. Tidepaw shivered as she entered the chilly forest. Tall, leafy trees let little light into the territory. Darkclaw glared at the her for the entire trip, his gaze seeming to pierce her soul. She suffered it in silence.

Finally, they pushed their way into ShadowClan camp. ShadowClan's leader Duskstar was nearby, having a conversation with one of her warriors. When she noticed the patrol, she excused herself and padded over. Tidepaw noticed Darkclaw's expression begin to lighten.

"You three are dismissed," the gray she-cat mewed to her Clanmates. "When the other patrol gets back, we'll start the apprentice ceremony." Darkclaw's whiskers drooped, but he padded away without complaint.

"What brings you to ShadowClan camp, Otterstar?" Duskstar asked. "I hope you're not here to ask for more food. We just sent you some a few sunrises earlier."

Tidepaw's mind went back to two sunrises before, when Finchwing, Crowfur, and Skypaw had brought a few pieces of prey to the RiverClan warriors. Duskstar hadn't wanted to look soft at the Gathering, but at least she had found it in her heart to send RiverClan something to eat later on.

"This isn't about food," Otterstar assured Duskstar. "I wanted to speak with you in front of the whole Clan. What I have to share concerns all of us. After that, we could have a more private conversation."

Duskstar nodded. "Today two of our kits will be apprenticed," she explained. "I'll hold the ceremony just as soon as the cats checking the ThunderClan border get back. Until then, feel free to share tongues with my Clan."

"Thank you, Duskstar," mewed Otterstar. "RiverClan will not forget your friendship."

The ShadowClan leader shrugged, heading back to finish her conversation with the cat she had been talking to earlier. As she departed, a white she-cat came to join them.

"It's been too long, hasn't it?" greeted Creamfur. "I may no longer be one of your Clanmates, but I'll always consider you my friends."

Skystorm and Grasstail perked up at the sight of their sister. "We really need to catch up," said Skystorm. "Plenty has happened in RiverClan."

Tidepaw padded off to sit on her own. As soon as she found solitude, it was disturbed by a ShadowClan tom.

"It's not often that we get visitors from RiverClan," he purred. "Would you care to exchange stories with me?"

"What kind of stories are you interested in?" she asked. "I could probably tell you something, but wouldn't there be a better place to start than with an air-headed RiverClan apprentice?" _He better not start asking about my scar like so many others have. If they could just ignore it, maybe I could fade away in peace._

"Pardon me for not introducing myself," the tom mewed. "My name is Goldleaf, and I'm one of the Clan elders. I've been trying to find as many stories about the Echo Wars as I can, but I already know all of ShadowClan's tales. Fresh blood from the other Clans may aid me in my quest. Do you know much about it?"

Tidepaw nodded. "I've spent plenty of time hearing about it from old Troutfin," she explained. "I'll bet that I've got at least one story you haven't heard. Are you trying to collect the entire history of the Echo Wars or something?"

Goldleaf sighed and shook his head. "I'm Bonetail's father," he explained. "In those last few days, before my son betrayed the Clans, he came to me. He wouldn't say why, but he wanted to know as much as he possibly could about the Echo Wars. I didn't know any more than your average cat, so I couldn't help. But each day I've felt regret. Maybe if I had been a better father, he might not have left. So I'm searching the lore, trying to find out what he was after. Maybe if I can understand my son, I can get through to him. Pardon me. I'm old, and prone to rambling."

Tidepaw nodded, feeling sympathy for the elderly tom. _I can understand family troubles. Back at RiverClan, I have no mother or father to watch over me. Brightpaw and I are on our own._ "I'm not sure how long I'm staying here, but I have a friend who loves listening in on the stories our elders tell," Tidepaw explained. "If we're still here after my leader addresses yours, could we talk then? If not, there's always the Gathering." _Just not a secret meeting behind the backs of the Clans. I know how well those work out._

Goldleaf nodded. "That sounds wonderful," he purred, his good humour returning. "You try your best to look sweet and harmless, but I can see that you have a bit of a wicked streak. Would you like me to tell you the story of Hawkclaw and Violetcloud? Two cats from different Clans were seeing each other, and in the end the she-cat tore up the tom and ate him."

Tidepaw shrugged. "Sure I'll listen to that one," she replied. "I'll even tell you an extra story as a bonus. You'll get to see 'The Tale of Tidepaw's Most Recent Meal' set before you in all its grandeur."

Goldleaf grinned. "I'll see you later then," he purred. "I have to go talk with one of my Clanmates." He padded off, leaving Tidepaw alone in the camp.

The brambles guarding the camp shook. Four ShadowClan cats padded in, none of whom Tidepaw recognized. Duskstar noticed the patrol, so she climbed up a vine and onto a ledge.

"Let all cats old enough to sneak through the shade gather beneath the Leader's Ledge for a Clan meeting!" the gray she-cat declared.

The ShadowClan cats poured into the clearing. Feeling awkward, Tidepaw sat next to Rainpaw. The medicine apprentice Stonepaw took Rainpaw's other side, while Skypaw sat next to Tidepaw.

"How's Wildpaw doing?" Skypaw hissed to Tidepaw.

"He's fine," Tidepaw replied. "Now quiet down. The ceremony is beginning."

"There comes a time in every cat's life when they must leave the safety of the Nursery and take their first steps into the real world," Duskstar mewed. "For two of our kits, that day has come. Hopekit and Blazekit, come forward."

Two kits bounded away from their parents to stand beneath the ledge. The father beamed at them.

"You first, Blazekit," said Duskstar. "The time has come for you to take your first steps out of kithood and onto the path of the warrior. Until you have completed your apprenticeship, you will be known as Blazepaw."

The golden brown tom nodded eagerly.

"Shrewfang, come forward," called Duskstar. A silver tom padded out of the crowd to stand at the foot of the Leader's Ledge. "You will mentor Blazepaw," the leader mewed. "You are clever and determined. Pass on your unyielding will to your apprentice."

Shrewfang and his new apprentice touched noses, signifying their new bond. Then, Duskstar continued.

"Hopekit, you are prepared to start you training under ShadowClan," she purred. "Until you have completed your apprenticeship, you will be marked by the named Hopepaw."

Tidepaw noticed that Darkclaw was staring hungrily at the white she-cat. _Oh no. I'm not letting you ensnare another cat in your plans. Not ever._

"Owlflight, you will mentor Hopepaw," Duskstar declared.

Darkclaw lashed his tail angrily, but only Tidepaw noticed. The other cats, excluding Webnose, were all focused on Hopepaw's ceremony.

Tidepaw recognized Owlflight as the she-cat who had tried to help her when Darkclaw had attacked her. She smiled at this. Hopepaw was in good paws.

"Owlflight, you are both fierce and compassionate," Duskstar mewed. "I trust that you will share these qualities with your new apprentice."

Owlflight nodded. Mentor and apprentice touched nose as ShadowClan called out the names of its new apprentices.

"Hopepaw! Blazepaw! Hopepaw! Blazepaw!"

The Clan seemed prepared to dissemble, but Duskstar moved her tail, signalling them to stop. "We have one more order of business to get through," the gray she-cat mewed. "Otterstar, leader of RiverClan, has come to speak with us. She requested all of ShadowClan as an audience. Otterstar, come forward."

As RiverClan's leader pushed her way through the crowd, Duskstar gracefully leaped from the Leader's Ledge to the ground. "What is it you wish, my friend?" asked Duskstar.

"I'm here to discuss an alliance against Bonetail," Otterstar explained. "He has proven to be formidable, but with the strength and strategists of our two Clans, we may stand a chance."

"So you mean to crush Bonetail with the might of two Clans?" asked Duskstar. "Or perhaps you want to lure him into an ambush. Otterstar, tell me your plans for this Clan alliance, and I'll consider the offer."

Otterstar nodded. "Bonetail claims that his rogues want revenge against the Clans," she explained. "But that's not how rogues work. Bonetail can say whatever he likes, but in the end he buys the loyalty of his army with food and shelter. Together, we have enough cats to separate him from his rogues and fight them. We'll make it look like we want to destroy his army, but we'll really be going for Bonetail. Once we capture him-or kill him if it comes down to that-the rogues will have no leadership. They'll dissolve, leaving smaller, disorganized group whose threat to the Clans is severely diminished."

Duskstar smirked. "Alright then Otterstar, I'll take up your offer," she purred. "I'll get Redclaw to organize a patrol that will hunt down Bonetail's camp."

"There is no need for that," Darkclaw mewed as he stepped out of the crowd. "I know where the rogue camp is." _Showing off, are you Darkclaw?_

Redclaw replied instead of Duskstar. Padding over to the jet-black tom, the deputy mewed, "This is a stroke of fortune, isn't it? Darkclaw, would you mind showing Creamfur and me where Bonetail is hiding?"

Darkclaw shrugged. Creamfur left the crowd to join them, and the three cats headed out of the camp.

"How lucky of you," Otterstar said. "Now, ShadowClan and RiverClan should learn to fight together. I'll send Skystorm back to RiverClan to get some more warriors. While she's gone, Tidepaw and Grasstail can train with some of your warriors."

"Sounds fair," mused Duskstar. "What about the other two warriors you brought?"

Otterstar motioned for Amberfang and Graywave to join her. Within heartbeats, the two toms were backing the milk white RiverClan leader. "Graywave and Amberfang are RiverClan's two best strategists," she explained. "Feel free to match them with your own warriors while we discuss battle plans."

Duskstar's reaction was something that Tidepaw had never expected to see from her. The gray ShadowClan leader laughed. "So I see that you're still the same as always," she cackled. "But I'm going all in for this, so I don't want you pulling any of your old tricks. I want your best strategist. Accept no substitutes."

Otterstar seemed just as confused as Tidepaw was. "These are my best strategists," she insisted. "What are you talking about?"

"Are you dense or something?" Duskstar asked. "You've withheld the most celebrated strategist the Clans have. RiverClan has been graced with a tactician of a class that has not been seen for lifetimes. He won the Clans their victory over the Sky Avengers. With a patrol of four cats, he managed to defeat over three times as many ShadowClan warriors in the battle where my predecessor died and I had to leave the Nursery. He's your mate for StarClan's sake! Do I have to spell it out for you? I want Finflutter."

"Does she have the wrong cat?" Tidepaw hissed to Rainpaw. "Because if Duskstar thinks that the tom who always steals Nightheart's catmint and can't speak a legible sentence will lead us to glory, I'm worried for her sanity."

Otterstar stared guiltily at her paws. "Former mate," she corrected, her voice turning into a squeak. "Finflutter really hasn't been the same since our kits died. Sorry. I'm not sure he's in the proper state of mind to command us. But if you want him here, I'll get Skystorm to bring him. Just don't get your hopes up."

"Very well," agreed Duskstar. "Now, we should get to training our warriors to fight together. Crowfur and Skypaw can practice with Tidepaw, while Cherrynose and Sootstain can work with Grasstail. The rest of the Clan are dismissed."

Sootstain's glared at Duskstar when she announced that he would be working with his son, but he accepted her orders without complaint.

Crowfur quickly joined up with Tidepaw and Skypaw. "Let's get started then," he mewed. "And after that, you two should come visit my adorable kits."

…

Dusk was settling in as another bout with the ShadowClan cats ended.

"I guess we should be heading back," Crowfur mewed. "Tidepaw, I could introduce you to Stickkit, Shadekit, and Needlekit. They haven't opened their eyes yet, but it's coming any day now."

"It would be a pleasure," Tidepaw replied automatically.

As she started to go with the two ShadowClan cats, something stopped her. Unless she'd finally gone mad, a nearby bush was talking to her.

"Miss Tidepaw," the bush whispered to her. "Over here."

"You two head back without me," Tidepaw mewed. "I need to make dirt."

Crowfur nodded. "Don't take too long," he instructed. "My kits will be going to sleep soon."

"You can come out now, Jester," Tidepaw called to the bush as soon as she knew the ShadowClan cats were gone. "It's all clear."

The golden kit tumbled out of the bush. Excluding the leaves stuck in his pelt, he hadn't changed at all since their first meeting. He started to say something, but Tidepaw quieted him.

"Jester, before you start, I need to confirm something," she mewed. "This isn't going to turn into a string of secret meetings, is it? Because if so, kindly ask your master to go drown himself in the lake. If you want to find me, I'll usually be in RiverClan camp."

Jester grunted. "Feeling flustered, Miss Tidepaw?" he asked. "I guess Spectre was right. Not all ladies are as agreeable as Winter."

Tidepaw waited for him to continue. _More words I don't know. Lovely._

"Anyway, I would come to visit your camp, but my master forbids it," Jester explained. "Don't worry a bit though. I got the drop on you today, but I probably won't be seeing you much in the future. So, let's get to the business at hand. Have you ever met a tom named Arise?"

"I've heard of him," Tidepaw replied. "My mentor mentioned him in passing. Is Arise your master?"

Jester shook his head vigorously, displeased at the idea. "No, no, not at all," he mewed. "Well, if you haven't met him, how about this? Has anyone in your, uh, Clan I think it's called, gotten sick with some mystery illness?"

"Yes," Tidepaw replied immediately. "My sister, Brightpaw. Is there any way your master could help?"

As she spoke, her mind whirled back to that day. Everything was still perfectly clear in her mind. She could still feel the breeze in her fur. She could still see the shadow that had flickered there for a heartbeat. She could still taste the blood in her mouth.

"_Kill me! Tidepaw, please, just kill me!"_

"I can never tell what my master is planning," Jester said, knocking her out of her memories. "But I'm sure it's in his power to help you and your sister." He grinned awkwardly.

The golden kit looked behind him, as if considering whether to leave yet. "Jester, why don't you stay the night?" Tidepaw asked. "You're young, and it isn't safe out in the forest."

"I can't," said Jester, shaking his head. "That's too close. I have to go back to Spectre, and then to see my master. But you're doing a good job fighting Bonetail. He's a shadow preying on your light."

"At least tell me who your master is," Tidepaw urged him.

The golden tom shrugged. "You Clan cats believe in something called StarClan, right?" he asked.

"Yes," Tidepaw confirmed. "It's a resting place for warriors whose lives have ended."

"Well, have you ever wondered what happens to the cats who fade from StarClan?" Jester asked.

"A question for a question," Tidepaw grumbled. "That's not helpful at all. Well then, Jester, give me a different answer. Tell me who you are."

The golden kit turned to go, and Tidepaw thought for a moment that he would leave without answering her. Then he murmured, "Just a cat who doesn't know the meaning of eternity." He vanished into the forest.

…

The sun had set by the time Tidepaw made it back to the ShadowClan camp. She wanted to find Rainpaw and then go see Goldleaf, but she didn't know where her friend was.

The blue-gray she-cat padded over to Hopepaw, Owlflight's cheerful white apprentice. "Hey there, I'm Tidepaw," she introduced herself. "If it isn't too much trouble, would you mind pointing out the medicine den to me?"

"Right over there," said Hopepaw, pointing her tail at a cave off to the side of the camp.

"Thanks!" said Tidepaw, but Hopepaw stopped her as she went to leave.

"The Winds of Death are following you," Hopepaw mewed. "I can't tell who will die, but you're surrounded by shadows."

"So I'm cursed by StarClan now?" asked Tidepaw. "How delightful. I'll be seeing you."

She headed into the medicine den. _More suffering, and more death will sprout from me? Is there anything I can actually do right? But at least now I've found a purpose. To fight Bonetail. To die protecting the Clans. To redeem myself, if that's even possible._

In the medicine den, Rainpaw was talking with Stonepaw, while Foxwhisker was sorting the herbs. Hearing her, Foxwhisker glanced up. "Don't try to fight pointy plants," the medicine cat grunted. "They always win." Then she immediately went back to her work.

"Hey Rainpaw, want to come talk with Goldleaf?" asked Tidepaw. "He wanted to exchange some stories."

Her friend nodded, eyes gleaming with hunger for knowledge.

The two she-cats headed to the elders' den. Stonepaw ended up tagging along, and the three cats talked with Goldleaf until long after they should have gone to sleep.

…

At the crack of dawn, every cat in the ShadowClan camp was awake. Pelts bristling with anticipation, they waited for Otterstar and Duskstar to come out of the Leader's den and into the camp.

Four days had passed since RiverClan and ShadowClan had made their alliance. At last, the Clan alliance was ready to fight Bonetail.

Tidepaw was clustered with a group of apprentices. They chatted nervously. Marshpaw and Copperpaw were arguing over which Clan had more delicious prey, but the other apprentices were focused on the battle to come.

"Rainpaw, are you sure you want to tag along for the battle?" Quillpaw asked. "I could roll in herb dust and serve as a decoy if it's too dangerous."

The gray tabby medicine apprentice shook her head to decline Quillpaw's offer. "I'm not going as bait for Bonetail," she explained. "I'm running herbs to the wounded cats on the battlefield. Bonetail only wants the five medicine cats who were around when he started his rebellion, so I should be safe."

"If you say so," sighed Quillpaw.

Meanwhile, Wildpaw was trying to demonstrate a move to Skypaw. "Don't worry if you get it wrong," he said. "Just stick close to me during the battle and you'll be safe."

Skypaw's eyes lit with the fires of competition, and she tried the move again with new resolve.

"Hey Tidepaw, have you seen Blazepaw?" Streampaw asked. "He said he was going out to make dirt, but I haven't seen him for a while."

Tidepaw shook her head. She hadn't seen Blazepaw anywhere.

"I hope he turns up," grumbled Streampaw.

Just then, Darkclaw padded over to Tidepaw, a wicked grin on his face. But before he spoke, cats padded out of the Leader's den to address the Clans.

"Yo RiverClan and ShadowClan!" greeted Finflutter.

Otterstar moved in front of him. "Bonetail's mad quest for vengeance has thrust us into dark times," she declared. "His army of rogues has been preying on us, sapping the strength of the Clans. But I say no more. Today, we have combined our strength. We will not let the darkness overcome us. No, it's time to start fighting back!"

The Clan cats cheered.

…

_In a faraway clearing, a tortoiseshell tom blinked open his pale yellow eyes. He stood surrounded by small flames, whose fire began to spread through the trees._

_"I guess Hazelfrost is doing well," he muttered. "And after the Clan cats defeat Bonetail, things will go back to normal."_

_In the distance, a crow cawed. Arise glanced at it, sighed as the frenzied flames curled around him. "The time has come," he said._

_His form dissolved into mist, and the wind carried it back towards the familiar land. The storm of his hatred would soon descend upon the Clans. And when it did, he would finally have his vengeance._

**To be continued…**

**The next chapter will probably be out much sooner. Darkclaw chapters tend to fly by. Next chapter is Rogues Vs. Clans! Place your bets! (Sorry to Leafkit fans, but I can't just cut to her in the middle of a battle, can I? Chapter 9 is going to be really good though. I promise.)**

**Thanks for reading! Can you believe that **_**Warriors**_** has been going on for 10 years? It's pretty amazing.**

**See you next time!**


	10. Chapter 8 Darkclaw

**I'm seriously sorry about the ridiculously long wait for this chapter, especially since I promised that this one would be out quicker than Chapter 7. I have some (bad) reasons for now getting this one done, but instead of offering excuses, I'll try to apologize by getting Chapter 9 and following chapters out much faster. This is a climactic chapter, but Chapter 9 is what much of this story has been leading up to since the very first chapter. So anyway, I hope you enjoy this chapter! **

**Chapter 8**

Darkpaw felt a surge of satisfaction as the mouse in his paws ceased its squirming and died. "Did you see that amazing catch?" he called to his mentor. He held up the plump mouse in his jaws, displaying it proudly.

"Well, ShadowClan territory certainly doesn't get mice very often," Bonetail meowed as he emerged from the bushes. The muscular tom paused, and Darkpaw waited for his opinion on the catch.

Duskstar had chosen Bonetail as a mentor in hopes that his fierce loyalty to ShadowClan would be passed on to her son. Bonetail's devotion to his Clan was unyielding. He always made it his first priority.

"You caught the mouse flawlessly," Bonetail finally mewed. "However, I cannot say the same for your previous attempts at hunting today. You seemed distracted, and your attempts at catching your prey were clumsy. Were you distracted by thoughts about that WindClan she-cat?"

"Of course not!" snarled Darkpaw, dropping the mouse as he spoke. "I'm ShadowClan, through and through. What would I gain from hanging out with WindClan cats?"

A quarter-moon ago, Foxwhisker had taken Darkpaw and Bonetail with her on a trip to WindClan. There, she had introduced Darkpaw to WindClan's medicine cat-a young she-cat named Snowpaw. Snowpaw was smart, pretty, and friendly, and although Darkpaw had never met her before, she seemed strangely familiar.

"Oh really?" asked Bonetail, a teasing tone apparent in his words. "Foxwhisker tells me that you've been going to the medicine den every day, demanding to see Snowpaw again."

"Not every day!" growled Darkpaw. "Foxwhisker is your sister. You should know that when she says something, you first compare it to the facts at your disposal, and you then dismiss it as a lie no matter how well it matches up."

Bonetail shrugged and started walking back towards the camp. Feeling annoyed, Darkpaw raced after him, nearly sprinting to match the length of his mentor's stride.

"Redclaw tells me that he wants you to be at the Gathering tonight," Bonetail mentioned after a few moments.

"Well finally," grunted Darkpaw. "At long last, I get to go to my first Gathering."

"You know, I'm fairly certain that medicine cats are always at the Gatherings," Bonetail added.

Darkpaw perked up. It had been far too long since he'd seen Snowpaw. He listened to his mentor attentively as they walked through the shadowy forest.

"A WindClan queen named Dovesong is going to give birth any day now," Bonetail continued. "Foxwhisker is going to stay with Snowpaw for a few days and walk her through the kitting process. She wanted to know if you would like to tag along."

"Of course!" Darkpaw blurted out without thinking.

Bonetail nodded. "Then it's all set," he purred. "You'll leave the Gathering with WindClan and stay there for a couple of days. I'll see you again after that."

"Wait, you're not coming?" Darkpaw asked. He didn't want to miss out on his training, even if it was only for a couple of days.

"Sorry Darkpaw," murmured Bonetail. They were just outside the camp now. "I'm not even going to the Gathering. I have my own business to take care of. But don't worry one bit. Once you're back, we can train extra-hard to make up for the few days you miss."

"Sounds great!" Darkpaw purred. Even though he was sometimes frustrating, Bonetail really was a great mentor.

Bonetail stopped right before the bramble thicket. He shot a glance back at Darkpaw, eyes showing anxiety.

"By the way, have you ever heard of a cat called Arise?" he asked, a distracted tone to his meow.

Darkpaw shook his head. "Never heard of such a cat," he replied. "Is it important?"

Bonetail sighed. "Not really," he muttered, pushing through the bramble thicket and into the camp.

Darkpaw followed him, but the large white tom was already halfway across the camp, black tail held high in the air.

"Hey, Darkpaw!"

The speaker was Fernheart, Bonetail's mate. She was a lithe brown and white tabby, and her small size set a stark contrast with her huge mate. She shot over to him, eyes retaining their perpetual sparkle.

"Have you seen Webnose anywhere?" she asked.

Darkpaw shrugged. "I suppose she would be in the Nursery," he mewed. "After all, she has Hopekit and Blazekit to look after."

Fernheart nodded. "I suppose so," she agreed. She smiled at him. "Bonetail thinks of you like a son," she purred. "Look after yourself, okay?"

Darkpaw nodded as she padded off. The sun was setting, and soon it would be time to set out for the Gathering.

His paws tingled with anticipation. He was going to see Snowpaw again.

…

Darkclaw impatiently paced back and forth. The Clan was getting up early to fight Bonetail, so he had needed to be up even earlier to make time for his daily morning training. It was only a couple of hours past Moonhigh, and moonlight spilled through the trees into the forest.

The jet-black tom growled. He was supposed to be training so that he could defeat Bonetail, but he hadn't even started yet. His mind was whirling with conflicted thoughts, amplified by the approaching battle.

Darkclaw sighed and sat down beneath a nearby tree. _So Bonetail knew something about Arise, did he? It was the last thing he said to me before he betrayed the Clans. How could I have forgotten that?_

A cool breeze blew through his fur as he thought. _Well, Bonetail's hatred of medicine cats makes sense now. He was angry over Fernheart's death, and if Arise told him that the medicine cats were to blame, he would have had plenty of reason to agree. He hates Foxwhisker because she wasn't there to save Fernheart. He hates Snowcloud because Foxwhisker left the camp to help her out. He hates Sunstorm and Dawnfern because ThunderClan could have spared one of its two medicine cats to help Snowcloud, but Foxwhisker was sent instead. He hates Nightheart because-well, do you really need a reason to hate Nightheart?_

Darkclaw grunted as he stood up. Bonetail was a traitor to the Clans, and he needed to die if ShadowClan was to be kept safe. But even so, Arise was the true villain behind all this. _Maybe Duskstar isn't paying attention to me because this is about more than just Bonetail. Yeah, that has to be it! I'm just not looking deep enough. He's the greatest threat to the Clans on the surface, but I'll have to cut the roots of this and kill everyone who would cause strife. If I do that, she'll notice me. Right? Isn't that it?_

Darkclaw unsheathed his claws. He had wasted far too much time that could have been used for training. Now, he needed to be stronger, faster, and more deadly than ever.

"Hello again, Darkclaw. I hope you haven't missed me too much."

He whipped around, snarling at the newcomer. "Arise."

The tortoiseshell tom nodded, advancing leisurely toward him. "You're going to confront Bonetail today, aren't you?" he asked. "I mean, really fight him this time. I would never mean to offend you, but your last attempt was quite abysmal. I do wish you better luck for this try."

Darkclaw hissed, barring his teeth as Arise drew closer. "Quit your games Arise," he snarled. "What are you after?"

Arise stopped on the spot. The tortoiseshell sat down and yawned, but his gaze remained focused on Darkclaw. "Must you be so sceptical of me, Darkclaw?" he asked. "I simply came to tell you that I'd be cheering for you. I could have made it clearer with some sentimental speech or something, but my intentions are honest." When Darkclaw continued to glare at him, Arise added, "That's what friends do for each other. Haven't you had any?"

"Of course I have friends!" Darkclaw snapped. "I mean, who hasn't? There's Snowcloud, and there's-" He paused. At the moment, he couldn't really think of anyone else. _Whatever. Does it really matter than I'm too tired to list all my friends?_

"Well, moving on," he continued. "I don't care what you say you're here for! I know that what you really want is to use me to destroy ShadowClan. You did the same thing with Bonetail! He knew you even before he turned traitor. You told him that medicine cats were to blame for Fernheart's death, didn't you? You got him to start tearing the Clans apart, and now you want me to finish it!"

Arise shrugged, padded over to Darkclaw, and wrapped his tail around him. "You forgot one thing," the tortoiseshell tom hissed into Darkclaw's ear. "If I wanted Bonetail to break the Clans with his rebellion, why would I send you to stop him?" He crept back, meeting Darkclaw's eyes. "No, Bonetail is my mistake, one that needs fixing. He came to me, seeking the power to unite all the Clans. Of course, I told him that true unity could only come through belief in your StarClan. And, I may have expressed my displeasure with a few things in your system. But Bonetail has taken my advice too far, and can only think about killing your medicine cats. As if the deaths of StarClan's chosen will bring the Clans any closer together."

Darkclaw nodded as he listened to Arise's words. _It seems that Bonetail's betrayal hurt him just as much as it hurt the Clans. Is he as much of a victim as I am?_

Arise drew closer to him. "I came to you because I knew that you could help," he explained, hurt showing in his eyes. "Darkclaw, I truly admire you. When the time comes, can you put my regrets to rest? Can you do the right thing, and kill Bonetail for me?"

_He admires me? Really? No cat has ever said that about me before._ Darkclaw nodded to the tom before him. "I'm strong enough," he replied. "So I'll do it for you."

"Thank you," Arise replied. "Darkclaw, we'll meet again." He turned, vanishing into the darkness of the forest.

Darkclaw let out a frustrated growl as Arise departed. _Will I ever understand anything?_

As he sat, shivering in the forest, he heard another voice call out to him.

"Darkclaw?" asked Owlflight. "Oh, there you are! I thought I'd find you out here."

Frustration seeped through Darkclaw, and he raked his claws across the cold earth. "What are you here for?" he snapped. "Did you come to taunt me about the battle?"

The mottled brown she-cat shook her head as she entered the clearing. She walked over to him carefully, stopping when only a tail-length remained between their noses. "You're troubled, aren't you?" Owlflight asked.

"I have to kill Bonetail," Darkclaw murmured, not even sure why he was telling everything to her. "He was like a father to me, but he betrayed my trust and the Clans. Now that Fernheart is gone, I'm the cat with the strongest connection to him. So, it's my job to end this. Don't you see? All along, this is how it was meant to go."

"Are you sure that's the way?" Owlflight asked. "If you kill him, what will it prove? That you're better at fighting than he is?"

He shied back from her. "So?" he spat. "The heroes of the past killed their enemies! What's wrong with me killing mine?"

Owlflight drew closer, touching her tail to his flank. "I want to fight alongside you, Darkclaw," she said. "And I will respect your right to a choice. But if you kill Bonetail, the storm inside you won't stop raging. The Clans may win the day, but in the end, nothing will change."

Darkclaw gritted his teeth and bowed his head. "If another way presents itself to me, I'll take it," he grunted. "There? Now will you stop bothering me?"

Owlflight nodded happily. "Then I promise to support you in all things," she replied. "Now come with me. Our Clanmates are waiting for us."

…

Darkclaw crouched in a bush, waiting for the battle to begin. Branches scratched at his muzzle as he looked out at the trees that sheltered the rogue camp. To his side, Tidepaw grumbled.

Darkclaw didn't like working with Tidepaw any more than she liked working with him, but he had to adhere to Finflutter's plan. Silently, he promised that he would attack the rat-brained tom if RiverClan and ShadowClan ever met in battle.

Tidepaw's grumbling was becoming progressively more bothersome, so Darkclaw sighed and turned to face her.

"Try to act a little more vengeful," he suggested.

"Um, what are you talking about?" asked Tidepaw. She seemed too confused by his advice to carry on with her bothersome grumbling.

He glared at her. "Everything thinks that the rogues wronged you," he hissed. "If someone notices how indifferent you're acting, don't you think they might figure out what really happened?"

Tidepaw glared right back at him. "What if it's time to stop hiding?" she asked. "Darkclaw, what we did that day can never be forgiven. Maybe it's time I accepted my punishment for this."

"What _we_ did?" he snapped incredulously. "I don't recall having any part in it. Tidepaw, you killed your father all by yourself."

The blue-gray she-cat recoiled as if struck. She ducked down, averting her eyes from Darkclaw.

"I did, didn't I?" Tidepaw murmured.

"Yes, you did," growled Darkclaw. "So, why were you blaming me? The only blood that will cover my paws is Bonetail's blood. Were you just so desperate to have someone to blame your burdens on that you lashed out at the nearest cat?"

"I'm sorry," she muttered. Then she turned to him, her eyes angry. "But Darkclaw," she added, "you desire to kill Bonetail for what he did. So, you tell me. How does that make you any different from me? In the end, we're both killers."

"It's loads different!" he snarled. "Bonetail is threatening innocent Clan cats!"

Tidepaw started to reply, but Darkclaw quieted her with a flick of his tail. Foxwhisker had padded up to the tree barrier's entrance. The attack was about to begin.

"I'm just a harmless medicine cat out for a walk," Foxwhisker yowled, making her words overly loud. "Sure would be a shame if anything happened to me."

Almost immediately, three rogues leaped out from behind trees and surrounded Foxwhisker. "Oh, the predictability," muttered the medicine cat.

"I guess this is our lucky day," purred Bear, who Darkclaw remembered from the battle at the original ShadowClan camp. "One of the medicine cats has just walked up and presented herself to us. What do you think of this, Siren?"

"I think Bonetail will be most pleased by this," one of the other rogues hissed as they circled Foxwhisker. "If he was satisfied by your battle with those ShadowClan cats, just think of the rewards we'll reap by turning over a medicine cat to him!"

Before any of the rogues could continue their conversation, Foxwhisker flicked her tail twice. It was, of course, the signal to attack.

_Well finally._ Darkclaw unsheathed his claws and leapt from the bush, with Tidepaw just behind him. From around the forest, four more cats emerged from similar hiding spots.

"This is inconceivable!" gasped Bear.

"I think you'll need to redefine that word," Foxwhisker snapped as she unsheathed her claws and swiped at him, "because this is quite clearly a trap."

Darkclaw rushed towards Siren, feinting left to distract her. As she tried to strike, he rammed her from the side with his head. Off balance, she toppled to the ground and he grabbed her by the throat, holding her with unsheathed claws.

Looking around, he saw that the other cats had subdued their opponents just as easily.

"I'm going to let you go free," explained Sootstain, who was holding Bear with the same grip Darkclaw was using on Siren. "But don't think you're safe just because you don't have claws at your throat. Make one wrong move, and your friends will find out what happens to rogues after they die."

"You claim to have strong morals, and yet you do something like this?" grunted Bear. "I can't believe how hypocritical you are, Clan cat."

"We can talk about the morals of this later," snapped Sootstain. "For now, I'll give you a little tip. Don't talk down to the cat whose claws are at your throat."

Bear glared at Sootstain, but then he sighed and shrugged. "Okay, you win," he said. "I'll do whatever you want, just as long as Siren stays safe."

"When I release you, go straight to Bonetail," Sootstain instructed. "Tell him that you've captured ShadowClan's medicine cat, and get him to come alone. If you alert him to our trap, then you can say goodbye to your friends."

Bear nodded impatiently. "Okay, okay, I said I'd do what you wanted," he growled. "Now just get it over with and release me."

Sootstain sheathed his claws, pushing Bear out of his paws. "I'll glad we could come to an understanding," he purred.

Bear nodded. Before padding into the camp, he gave a meaningful glance at the cat in Darkclaw's paws. "Don't worry Siren," he hissed. "I promise that you'll be okay." Then he disappeared into the trees.

Darkclaw waited an uncomfortably long time for something to happen, all the while aware of the she-cat he held with his claws. _Hurry up and get out here, Bonetail. You want the medicine cat, and I want you to face justice._

Finally, Bonetail padded out from the trees and into the clearing. He took one glance around, and nodded to himself. "A trap, as expected," he grunted. "But then, such things are inevitable when my sister is involved."

Before Darkclaw could leap towards him and strike like he so desperately wanted to, Sootstain padded towards his brother.

"Bonetail, why are you doing this?" he asked. "You were always such a noble and loyal warrior before, but now you've fallen so far."

Bonetail glanced at his paws, giving a flustered sigh. "You could always leave now with your life, brother," he suggested. "I wanted you to be happy when we were Clanmates, and I still do now. The only cat here that I have any business with is Foxwhisker. She can't think that my quarrel doesn't extend to her just because she's my sister."

Sootstain shook his head. "I can't just do that, brother," he replied. "It would be giving up, turning my back on everything I stand for. But you can still change. Come back with us now, disband your rogues, and give up your hatred of medicine cats. You could become a ShadowClan warrior again. You might even have a shot at Clan deputy!"

Bonetail gave a melancholy chuckle. "I'm sorry, Sootstain, but you know that can never happen," he purred.

"Bonetail, please," begged Sootstain. "Is this what Fernheart would have wanted?"

Bonetail's eyes suddenly filled with rage. "You never knew true love, Sootstain!" he snarled. "You just ran off with some RiverClan she-cat for a single night. It's not as if you could understand me!" Then, as if suddenly aware of himself, he calmed down. "I apologize for my outburst," he purred. "Tell me, have you ever heard the tale of the Dark Prophecy?"

Darkclaw grimaced, reminded of how Foxwhisker had forced him to listen to that story.

Suddenly, Tidepaw broke away from the group and padded over to Bonetail's side. "I think I can understand you," she purred, eyes filled with longing. "You received your own prophecy from StarClan, didn't you? And whatever the contents of that prophecy were, they somehow led to your mate's death. You were grief-stricken, and you blamed yourself. How could you not? It was your fault, just like the prophecy said. Eventually, you grew sick and tired of living with guilt welling up inside you. But instead of moving on, you lashed out and blamed a group of cats that were easy scapegoats. The medicine cats, of course. They gave you the prophecy, so they were to blame for your tragic loss. You knew that you couldn't bring Fernheart back, but you felt that you could avenge her by slaying the medicine cats. Is that it? Is it what happened? You got a prophecy, and then everything changed?"

Darkclaw had been growing progressively more fed up as time passed. Now, it was too much. Something inside him snapped as Tidepaw too tried to rationalize Bonetail's actions. "Everyone, just shut up!" he growled. "Look, we have Bonetail outnumbered, so we've just about won. Let's just defeat him, go home, and offer these theories as we share a victory feast."

"Finally, someone got it," purred Bonetail, nodding to Darkclaw in appreciation. "Now, let's start this again. Come out!"

Right on cue, ten rogues stepped out from behind the trees, forming a circle around Bonetail.

"Now, tell me again who outnumbers who?" the massive white tom snarled.

"So Bear revealed our trap after all?" asked Foxwhisker. "I guess you can't really ask for honour from rogues."

Bonetail shook his head. "I told you already, my sister," he growled. "I always know that something's up when you're involved!"

Sootstain grunted in response, and let out a loud yowl.

Suddenly, the trees in the clearing began to shake.

"Oh, not this again," muttered a rogue she-cat that Darkclaw recognized as Iris.

The rest of the ShadowClan and RiverClan cats leapt from the trees, most landing safely on four paws.

"Yo, Bonetail!" Finflutter called. "Sorry for ripping off your plan, but some things are just too good to pass up, y'know?"

Bonetail spat a curse as the Clan cats lined up behind Sootstain. "You there, Log!" he called to a brown rogue. "Go and get the rest of my cats. Everyone else, you can fight. Just don't kill anyone!"

The rogues surged forward, fearless even though they were outnumbered badly. However, the Clan cats were equally fearless, and they fought against the rogues.

Darkclaw was distracted for a moment, but a prodding from Siren's tail brought him back to the real world. "You have me now," she snarled. "Just get it over with and kill me. I'm tired of waiting."

Darkclaw contemplated the life in his paws. If he moved his claws just a little bit, then he would rid the world of one more rogue. He considered this for a few moments.

Finally, he sheathed his claws. "You're free to go," he snarled. "I'm not going to kill you."

Siren moved away slowly, bowing her head to him. "Thank you," she purred. "I'll remember this for the rest of my life."

"I don't care!" Darkclaw snapped. "I just want you to get out of my sight!"

Siren nodded, turning and running away. Darkclaw stood still, watching her leave. He wasn't sure why he had bothered to spare her.

"Time to join the fight now, brother," meowed Cherrynose as she slid to his side. "But you have to be ready to kill the rogues if need be."

Darkclaw stood straight and moved to stand beside her. "Of course I am," he purred. "You know me well, don't you?"

Cherrynose nodded, just as more rogues started spilling out into the clearing. "I know that guy!" she murmured, pointing at a ginger tom with her tail. "His name is Ben. I'll handle this." She raced off, calling out a battle cry as she did.

Darkclaw scanned the clearing, seeking out his target. He wanted to find Bonetail, of course. _Great, he's nowhere to be found._

Just then, Tidepaw took off into the camp. Darkclaw glanced at her quizzically as she departed. _Wait, maybe she saw Bonetail?_ he wondered. _I'm not going to let her fight him before I get my chance!_

He moved himself quickly through the clearing, darting past a dense growth of trees to get a view of the rogue camp.

He gave himself a few moments to gaze at it in awe.

The rogue camp lay in an immense crater, said to have been formed when a stone fell from the sky and shattered the earth. Makeshift nests were set up within the crater, and only a few small paths let one descend into it without a steep fall. Darkclaw had heard stories about it before, but he had never seen it with his own two eyes. Ace had only taken him to the trees right outside the crater.

He slid down one of the inclines, landing in the rogue camp. Darkclaw identified the yowls of Tidepaw, and another RiverClan she-cat. Quickly, he raced further into the camp.

He was met with disappointment. Tidepaw and Willowfern were locked in combat with Slash and Whitefeather. There was no sign of Bonetail anywhere.

"Do you believe that love can last beyond one lifetime?" asked Slash. He leapt forward, striking true on Tidepaw's scar. The blue-gray she-cat screamed in pain, then staggered back and collapsed.

Darkclaw rushed forward, lifting up Tidepaw and placing her on his back. "I'll get her to a medicine cat," he snapped to Willowfern. "You can handle these two, right?"

"You're not going to force yourself into this fight?" asked Willowfern.

Darkclaw shook his head. "I understand you," he replied. "This is something you need to do by yourself."

Willowfern smiled at him, determination in her eyes. She turned back and parried a blow from Whitefeather.

Darkclaw ran for the path back out of the crater. The other rogues in the camp had left to join the battle, so he had no one to slow him down.

"Why are you saving me?" croaked Tidepaw as Darkclaw carried her out of the crater and through the trees.

"Shut up before I start asking myself the same question!" he snapped in response. "Idiot."

He rushed to where RiverClan's medicine apprentice Rainpaw would be waiting, grudgingly ignoring the battle. Finally, he found her just behind the clearing. He dropped Tidepaw in front of her, and she gasped.

"Tidepaw took a nasty blow to her scar," he grunted. "I trust you can make your Clanmate better?"

Rainpaw nodded, but she seemed nervous. "I'll try to do my best," she mewed.

He turned, preparing to head back onto the battlefield. _Finally._ But, before he could advance into the clearing, Duckfoot rushed out, wailing. "Duskstar has lost a life!" he cried.

Darkclaw paused mid-step, shuddering with grief. _Mother. I don't want to lose you._ While he had been avoiding the battle, his own mother had given one of her lives for the Clans. _I'm just sitting here like a useless lump of fur! It isn't fair to everyone else!_

Suddenly, Hopepaw's prediction came back to him. _"Bonetail will die. Duskstar will die. The RiverClan warrior Icefang will die."_ Darkclaw gritted his teeth. Hopepaw's prediction about Duskstar's death had come true. His mother would be revived, but the other cats wouldn't be so lucky. _Am I giving up hope for them just because Hopepaw was right about two cats? If I do that, it means accepting my own death. I'll just have to show Hopepaw that she isn't always right._ Darkclaw readied his claws. He would prove that the Winds of Death weren't infallible.

"You have a Clanmate called Icefang, right?" he barked at Duckfoot. "Where is she?"

"Well, I think she's, uh…" Duckfoot started before trailing off into silence. "I could have sworn that I saw her fighting. How about I lead you to her?"

Darkclaw grunted an agreement. "Just as long as you can get me there quickly," he added.

Duckfoot took off into the clearing, with Darkclaw easily matching his pace. All around them, the battle raged. However, Bonetail was nowhere to be seen.

Duckfoot swerved around the fighting warriors, avoiding them with ease. Suddenly, Log stepped in front of the two Clan cats. "You're just a couple of strays," he snarled. "I'll deal with you."

The rogue leapt at the two warriors, tearing part of Darkclaw's pelt as he just barely dodged to the right. Log leapt on top of him with lightning speed, dragging him to the ground. Darkclaw wrestled with him frantically, trying to get a solid grip as his opponent bit at his fur. _I may not have his finesse, but I'm stronger than he is. I should end this now._

Extending his back legs, Darkclaw pushed against Log. He launched himself away from the snarling tom, his momentum sending him rolling through the grass.

The dark tom pushed himself to his paws beside Duckfoot, just as Log did the same. "I don't have time for this," he spat. "I need to find Icefang _right now_!"

Duckfoot grunted. "I'll do this then," he offered. His tail sprang up, and he pointed it towards a nearby bush. "I'm pretty sure you'll find Icefang beyond there," he explained. "You go and find her, while I stay here and fight Log."

The brown rogue sprang at Darkclaw, but Duckfoot stepped in front of him, matching Log's attack with his own claws.

Darkclaw took the opportunity the RiverClan warrior had given him, rushing away from the two fighting cats before Log could attack him again. "Keep your claws sharp!" he called to Duckfoot as he retreated.

He darted across the clearing, swerving by some of his Clanmates as he did. He crashed through the bush, tearing its leaves open as he rushed through it. As he bolted out from the bush, he was just in time to see Sleet looming over a gray-and-white she-cat. She gazed up at him, eyes bulging with horror, as he held her to the ground.

"Bonetail told us not to kill any of you, but there's no fun in that," Sleet hissed. "I won't deny myself the taste of fresh blood!"

At once, time seemed to slow. As Sleet thrust his jaws toward the she-cat's throat, Darkclaw launched himself off the ground, propelling himself at the rogue tom. _Don't think I'll let filth like you hurt a Clan cat, ratbrain._ The force of Darkclaw's leap knocked Sleet off balance, and his jaws only managed to tear the she-cat's ear.

As Sleet began to right himself, Darkclaw swatted his muzzle. Enraged, Sleet rushed at him and swiped at his flank. Darkclaw pushed back at Sleet. The rogue fell to the ground, and Darkclaw followed him down. The two toms rolled along the earth, wrestling with each other.

Darkclaw struggled to avoid Sleet's erratic claw slashes as they bit at each other. He pulled back as Sleet swiped at him, managing to avoid all but a knick on his shoulder.

Feeling smug, he pushed all his weight against Sleet, sending the tom rolling across the forest floor.

Sleet remained down as Darkclaw stood. "Now, how should I finish him?" he mused.

Before he could decide, he heard pawsteps approaching the clearing, and a familiar voice accompanying them.

"Kiai!"

Two young cats, a brown tom and a gray she-cat with white stripes, shot into the clearing. As they did, Sleet stood up and sneered at Darkclaw. Still dazed, the rogue tom was knocked over again by the young newcomers.

"I got scared and ran away before we could go to battle," Blazepaw admitted, standing over Sleet. "But I won't be a coward any longer. From now on, I fight for my Clan!"

Ace, the Rogue Hunter nodded to him, eyes shining with pride. "See, I told you!" she mewed. "All you needed was a little bit of courage, and then even the toughest enemies would be no match for you."

"I'd love to hang around and chat," Darkclaw snapped as Sleet rose up again. "Well, I actually wouldn't want to do that. But even if I did, I'd still have to get this RiverClan warrior back to a medicine cat. Do me a favour and don't get needlessly killed, okay?"

"Not dying is my specialty!" Ace exclaimed as she dodged a swipe from Sleet and headbutted him in response. "Now finish the fight!"

"Come on, Icefang!" Darkclaw grunted to the RiverClan warrior.

The two Clan cats spun and sped out of the clearing, breaking through the bush as they did so. Darkclaw scanned the clearing, searching for a sign of his former mentor among the fighting cats. _Enough hiding, Bonetail. Where _are_ you?_

He turned to glance at Icefang, who was standing still just behind him.

"You saved me," she murmured. "But, how did you know I was in danger?"

"It doesn't matter," he growled. "Just get back to Rainpaw. I have some unfinished business that I need to take care of."

"If you say so," Icefang sighed. She shot off through the clearing, dodging the fighting cats as Darkclaw and Duckfoot had done earlier.

As Darkclaw looked over the clearing, a passing breeze brought a familiar scent to him. It was Bonetail. "Finally," he muttered. "It's time to end this."

Paws tingling with excitement, Darkclaw turned and rushed towards the source of the scent. He burst into a nearby clearing, his claws unsheathed and his fur sticking up with fury.

In front of him, two white toms, one with a black tail and one with black spots, where locked in combat.

"Bonetail, please!" Sootstain pleaded as Bonetail slashed his muzzle. "It doesn't have to be like this. We can still stop this madness."

Bonetail released a ferocious yowl and slammed his brother to the ground. "You can stop this fight, if you want," he snarled. "I've already told you what I want."

Sootstain shook his head. "I won't give up either," he mewed. "I know I'll find you in there somewhere."

Darkclaw thumped his tail on the ground impatiently. It was _his_ fight, and he wasn't going to let anyone waste more of his time.

"Bonetail, enough!" he snapped. "Let Sootstain go. He's already lost this fight, and with it his chance to face you. From now on, this is my fight. I'm going to end all of this, right here and now."

Bonetail glanced at him, surprise gleaming in his eyes. Smirking, he lifted his paws and released Sootstain. The ShadowClan tom scurried away and squared up beside Darkclaw.

"Darkclaw, I'm sorry if I've ever mistreated you or hurt you in any way," Sootstain hissed. "But please, you have to save my brother. You know that he used to be a good cat. This battle doesn't have to end with death."

"You're not part of this anymore," Darkclaw snapped back. "Just sit back and we'll see what happens."

His rage filling him with strength, he rushed forward and leapt at Bonetail. The white tom calmly sidestepped the attack, and Darkclaw crashed to the ground.

"So you've come to face me, Darkclaw," Bonetail purred. "Your connection to my struggle is barely tangible at best. Do you really think that the five cats I seek are worth this much fighting? Can you defeat me when you can't even comprehend my anguish?"

"Why is everyone so obsessed with talking?" Darkclaw growled as he pushed himself to his paws. "I don't care if what you're doing is right or wrong. You betrayed me, so I came here to fight you!" He charged forward again, angrily swiping at Bonetail's muzzle.

Bonetail moved his head to the side, dodging the swipe. As he did, an amused purr rumbled through him. "Very well, Darkclaw," he replied. "I'll teach you despair with my claws."

Bonetail swung his claws at Darkclaw. The jet-black tom had started to duck before Bonetail's move had even begun, but Bonetail's claws managed to slice at his ear and reopen the half moon-old wound Tidepaw had given him. Next, the larger tom shot forward and slammed into him. Bonetail's immense weight knocked the wind out of Darkclaw.

Pain shot through Darkclaw as Bonetail raked his claws across his flank. Flailing blindly, he sliced through Bonetail's muzzle. Enraged, the white tom smacked at Darkclaw's eyes with his tail, momentarily blinding him. Then he swiped at him, cutting open Darkclaw's own muzzle.

Darkclaw released a pain-filled yowl. His blood rushing to his ears, he skipped back. Then, he darted forward again, biting at Bonetail. The white rogue swung around, leaving Darkclaw with only fur clasped in his jaws.

Darkclaw gritted his teeth and attacked again, this time managing to clamp his jaws around Bonetail's tail. Bonetail screamed, tearing his tail out of Darkclaw's mouth as he spun around. The large white tom swiped furiously at Darkclaw, who just barely avoided his blow.

Bonetail growled as he shot forward. He aimed for Darkclaw's flank, but it was a feint. Before Darkclaw had time to react, Bonetail had wrapped his jaws around the dark tom's front leg.

The larger tom's teeth tore through his flesh. Darkclaw screamed in pain and staggered back. Bonetail advanced towards him, rage filling his eyes. _No! It wasn't supposed to go like this! I was supposed to defeat you and earn acknowledgement from my Clan. I can't be a failure. I'm not going to go down like some useless lump of fur!_

Bonetail raised a paw, striking Darkclaw's jaw with a powerful blow. Darkclaw spat out a mouthful of blood as he shrunk back, trying to get away from Bonetail. However, the large white tom was too swift. He shoved his claws into Darkclaw's chest.

Bonetail sneered as he hoisted Darkclaw up into the air. Darkclaw struggled to break free, but Bonetail was powerful, as always.

Bonetail gave him a smug look of superiority. "It looks like you wasted your chance to fight me after all," the white tom hissed. "But then again, that was inevitable. Until you have experienced my torment, you will be unable to defeat me."

Darkclaw spat at him in response.

Bonetail growled, digging his claws deeper in Darkclaw as he held him in the air. Darkclaw watched helplessly as the rogue decided how to finish their battle.

And then, just as hope seemed lost, a voice rang out through the clearing.

"Hey Bonetail! Want to see if you can outrun a medicine cat?"

Bonetail turned around, tossing Darkclaw to the ground. "So you've decided to offer yourself up to me again, Foxwhisker?" he asked. "Then this time, I'll finish you for sure!"

The ShadowClan medicine cat darted out of the clearing, heading towards the rogue camp. Bonetail ran after her, leaving Darkclaw lying in the clearing.

Pain filled him. Every single part of Darkclaw's body was aching from his fight with Bonetail. Frustrated, he tried to stand, only to collapse before he could get back on his paws. He grunted in annoyance.

Then, Sootstain stood by his side. His Clanmate reached down, helping Darkclaw get back up.

"My words didn't get through to him," Sootstain sighed. "Your claws couldn't bring him back to his senses. I guess that's it, then."

Darkclaw shook his head. "I'm going after him," he mewed. "I promised myself I wouldn't turn tail and run away like a failure. I'm not going to give up until every last fight is seen through to the end."

He stepped forward, feeling the pain amplify as he moved. Howling with rage, he continued moving forward. The pain stabbed at him like sharp claws, but he had to go after Bonetail. Nothing else mattered.

Gritting his teeth, Darkclaw broke into a run. He banished every thought except Bonetail from his mind as he ran forward, following his former mentor's scent trail.

His body screamed at him and he felt like he would collapse again, but he pressed forward, racing through the shadows cast by the forest. Finally, he broke free from the forest.

Bonetail was standing above the crater alone, ignoring everything else in his rage. "She got away!" he snarled. "I lost her, just like I've lost everything precious to me."

Instead of announcing his presence, Darkclaw continued to run forward. He forced himself to accelerate as he neared Bonetail.

As the tom continued to cry out in fury, Darkclaw lunged at Bonetail. He crashed into the large white tom, his momentum making Bonetail stagger backwards.

Bonetail turned his head, eyes bulging with horror, and met the eyes of his former apprentice.

"This," Darkclaw hissed, "is for ShadowClan."

He slashed at Bonetail's flank, and the already unbalanced tom stumbled back over the edge of the crater. For a few moments, it looked as if he would succeed in righting himself. Then his immense weight pulled him down, and he tumbled over the edge.

There was a satisfying _crack_ as Bonetail hit the bottom of the crater. Darkclaw's eyes remained locked on him for a few moments, and a strange feeling coursed through him. _Did I…win? Did I actually do it?_

Darkclaw padded along the edge of the crater. Soon, he located a safe route down. He rushed into the crater, heading over to where Bonetail was lying.

As he stood over his former mentor, Darkclaw smirked. "Not an elegant death, but at least an effective one," he mused. "I suppose it's an end befitting a rogue."

At this, Bonetail's eyes shot open.

Darkclaw instinctively recoiled, but Bonetail made no attempt to attack him. "You've won," Bonetail rasped. "You've beaten me, and broken my body. I can't even move my tail. Truly, you have surpassed me."

Darkclaw nodded as he unsheathed his claws. "I know," he hissed.

"Now," Bonetail asked, "are you going to kill me?"

As the large white tom questioned him, Darkclaw stopped. _Cherrynose and Arise both told me that I had to be ruthless, and that I should kill Bonetail. But Sootstain begged me, actually begged me, despite how that goes against everything he stands for, to save his brother. And Owlflight is convinced that there's another option, another way to overcome the rogues. I know I should be doing what I want, but what do I want? What's the right thing to do?_

Above all the thoughts swirling through his head, one voice rang clear. _"So, you tell me. How does that make you any different from me? In the end, we're both killers."_

"Shut up, Tidepaw," he muttered. "I _am_ different."

Bonetail continued to stare at him, eyes expectant.

Finally, Darkclaw sighed. "I don't know what I want," he admitted. "I could kill you, and take my vengeance. That's what I've been pushing for all along. Or I could take you back to the Clan, where you would confess your crimes and we would talk things out. I understand how that's an option after seeing the pleading in the eyes of my Clanmates. But I just can't choose. I don't know what I want!"

Darkclaw stared at his paws, misery filling him. Bonetail continued to stare at him silently. After what seemed like a long time, Darkclaw glanced up at him.

"Well, you have truly surprised me, Darkclaw. I never thought that you'd make it this far. But now that you have, I believe that congratulations are in order."

The air around Darkclaw spun around, condensing. Above Bonetail, it converged into the shape of Arise.

"However, I do believe that you have failed to finish the job," the tortoiseshell continued. He unsheathed his claws and smirked.

"Arise, stop!" Darkclaw pleaded. "I haven't made up my mind on what to do with him yet!"

"You haven't?" asked Arise. He paused for a moment before giving a dismissive shrug. "Well that's a real shame. I've already made up mine."

Darkclaw leapt at Arise, intending to knock him away from Bonetail. However, he passed right through him, landing on the ground with empty paws.

He gasped with shock. "What are you?" he asked.

Arise sneered. "I am more powerful than you could possibly comprehend," he hissed. "And I already told you that if we fought, you would lose."

Arise shoved his claws into Bonetail's neck. Blood flowed over his paws, and he continued to push until there was a sickening snapping sound. Then, the wind swirled around Arise and he was gone.

"Fernheart," Bonetail whispered as blood foamed at his mouth, "I never wanted this. I am so, so sorry."

His chest stopped moving and he lay still.

"No!" screamed Darkclaw as he collapsed to the ground. "This isn't what I wanted! You took my choice, Arise! Come back here and fight me!" He continued to scream, even though he knew it was a futility.

Darkclaw heard pawsteps approaching him as he lay on the ground. "Now, now, Darkclaw," purred Foxwhisker. "It's okay to just rest. You look like you took a lot of punishment fighting Bonetail, so take it easy. You can let your rage out later."

"What would you know about it, rat-brain?" Darkclaw snapped.

"Just calm down," Foxwhisker snapped as she began to lick at his wounds. "I'm trying to help you, but that's a bit hard when you're an inconsiderate brat. After I'm done with you, I'm going to mourn my brother. Both the noble tom consumed by vengeance, and the tom he became are lost to me now."

"Okay, okay," sighed Darkclaw. "Just get it over with quickly."

He waited as Foxwhisker continued to clean him up. Despite himself, he had to admit that she was quite good. Above, dark clouds had begun to form. Soon, they broke, releasing a storm upon the territory.

Even after Foxwhisker was done with him, Darkclaw continued to lie in the rogue camp, feeling cold, wet, and anything but victorious.

…

Although he knew that the Clan was celebrating outside, Darkclaw lay in his den and ignored them. _They call me a hero, but what am I really? What is it that I want out of life? Is it really acknowledgement? In the end, I just don't know anything._

Curled up in his den, he wondered when Blackfur would be better. Then his thoughts changed to where Ace had run off to after the battle. Then, those thoughts were gone as well, replaced by worry about the strange powers of Arise.

Darkclaw sighed and rolled over. He needed to get some sleep.

Just then, he heard the sound of approaching pawsteps. He shot an eye to the entrance of den, and saw Hopepaw entering.

"Oh my frog Darkclaw, do you have to be so hard to find?" the white she-cat exclaimed.

He grunted and turned around to face her. "I was in my den the whole time," he growled. "It's not like I was hiding in the lake."

Hopepaw sat down and stared right into Darkclaw's eyes. Her gaze was almost unnerving. "Well, you should be at the centre of attention," she declared. "Today, we recognize you as ShadowClan's champion."

Darkclaw shrugged. "Yeah, well what if that isn't what I want?" he asked. "Why are you even here, anyway?"

Hopepaw sighed, looking nervous herself. "I'm here because I'm lonely," she admitted. "No matter how hard I try, Webnose only ever seems to care about Blazepaw. Now, I try not to be jealous or anything, but it hurts."

Darkclaw nodded, gazing back into Hopepaw's green eyes with sympathy. "I can relate," he mewed. "I always want to work hard so that Duskstar will pay more attention to me. So, I know what it's like to want your mother to acknowledge you. I did have Lilymist to raise me, but she's gone now."

Hopepaw purred softly, drawing closer and touching his flank. "I'm sorry about the loss of Lilymist," she whispered. "And, thank you Darkclaw. You always make me feel safe."

For a few moments, the two cats simply sat together, appreciating the mutual feeling of understanding. Then, Darkclaw reluctantly broke the silence.

"Hopepaw, do you remember your prediction on the day of the Half-moon?" he asked.

Hopepaw nodded to him, but she continued rubbing against him. "The Winds of Death told me that Duskstar, Bonetail, and Icefang would die," she recalled.

"Yes, and today Bonetail died and Duskstar lost a life," Darkclaw continued. "But the Winds of Death aren't perfect. A rogue named Sleet nearly killed Icefang, but I stopped him. Hopepaw, I _saved her_. I did it. I beat the Winds of Death. And if Icefang can be spared from her death, maybe I don't have to die either."

Hopepaw shook her head, eyes clouded with sorrow. "I'm sorry Darkclaw, but I already told you that the Winds of Death can never be cheated," she explained, her voice trembling with mourning. "If I had the power, I would do anything I could to prevent the deaths that are foretold. But I'm as powerless as the rest of you, forced over and over to watch deaths I have already seen come about. Today, the Winds of Death came for Bonetail, and they also took a life from Duskstar. Just as surely as that, they will come for you and Icefang."

"No!" Darkclaw snarled. "I won't let them get me. Now that Bonetail is gone, the Clans are going to be much safer. I can dodge death for a little while."

"You don't understand," Hopepaw snapped back as she broke away from him. "This isn't something you can stop just by acting tough. A storm of hate and rage, like nothing the Clans have seen for hundreds of moons, is coming. The Clans thought Bonetail was a threat, but he was merely a herald of that storm, a hint at the hardship to come. It will be like the rise of the Dark Forest and the coming of Ragnarok in the Echo Wars, only many times worse."

Hopepaw tore at the ground in frustration as Darkclaw listened to her speak.

"And this time, the Clans will wither and die. There is nothing any of us can do to prevent it. I am sorry."

**To be continued…**

**And with that, we have ended the Bonetail arc. As you can see from all the plot threads I've been setting up, this was pretty much a prologue to the story I'm trying to tell. So, what did you think of this chapter? And as a random question, do you ship Darkclaw with anyone?**

**Next time, we'll be seeing Leafkit again. It's been a while since I've written a Leafkit chapter, but this next one will be an extremely important chapter for her. Chapter 9 is going be extra good, because so far Leafkit seems to be overshadowed by Tidepaw and Darkclaw.**

**Anyway, thanks for reading! I had a lot of fun writing this chapter, and I hope to have just as much fun writing Leafkit again. I hope you can enjoy this as much as I do!**


	11. Chapter 9 Leafkit

**Yes, finally! Leafkit makes her triumphant return in this chapter, and for once I don't have to apologize because this chapter only took six days. I hope that future chapters can be released with the same speed as this one. Now then, this was one of my favourite chapters to write. I hope you enjoy it as much as I did! **

**Chapter 9**

_Whitefeather sat next to her mate Slash, watching carefully as he quivered with anger. The rest of the rogues stood before them, awaiting words from Slash._

_Without warning, lightning shot down from the sky and struck the earth before them, setting it ablaze. Slash hungrily stared into the flames._

"_Bonetail was our hope," Slash declared. "He gave us the strength we needed to fight. Now that he's gone, all that he worked for has been entrusted to me. I will do my best to provide for you all." He gave a meaningful glance at the rogues. "Many of you may wish to leave, as so many others already have. I can understand that, but you are walking away from a chance at glory. Those who stay will remain under my leadership, and lend their strength to me. We will show the Clans that none of this is over. It will never be finished!"_

_There was a cheer from the rogues._

_Slash turned to Whitefeather and stared at her with the icy blue eyes that so often seemed to pierce right through to her soul._

"_Reedfur…" she started._

"_It's okay, Whitefeather," Slash purred, cutting her off. He put his muzzle against hers, and they stood there in front of the flames for a few moments._

"_Everything will be all right as long as we love each other," she whispered. At that moment, as with every moment, she felt her heart pounding so hard that it could have burst out of her chest._

_"Yes," Slash agreed. "In this world of change, our love will be the one constant, the one thing that will never yield." His eyes were filled with affection._

_"Then let's finish this battle against the Clans," Whitefeather meowed, putting her paw over Slash's. "When we fight together, no cat can stand against us."_

…

"It sure has been a while," sighed Leafkit.

"Huh?" asked Silverkit. "A while since what?"

"Since anyone told us anything!" Leafkit complained. "It's sunhigh now, but the warriors are taking forever to discuss yesterday's Gathering!"

The two she-kits were watching clouds in WindClan's camp, and Leafkit was getting impatient. The only news from yesterday's Gathering that had been shared with her was that a ShadowClan tom named Darkclaw had killed Bonetail. Wolfpaw had described Darkclaw as "dreamy", but since Wolfpaw's dreams most likely consisted of plump rabbits, Leafkit was going to doubt the validity of that statement.

"You sound just like Eaglekit!" Silverkit grumbled. "Ever since Galeflight took us out to see the territory, he's been obsessed with the relationships between the Clans."

Leafkit flinched at the suggestion. "No way!" she protested. "I just want to know about any battles that may be coming up."

Silverkit squealed in a teasing way, then stopped and pointed at a passing cloud. "That one looks like a cat!" she purred.

Leafkit sighed, feeling flustered. "They're all either cats, rabbits, or misshapen rocks, aren't they?" she asked. "You convinced me to watch clouds with you after our training was done, but it isn't very enjoyable. I'm going to listen to one of Flamefur's stories. See you later."

"Suit yourself," replied Silverkit as Leafkit stood up. "Maybe later I'll go visit Ivypelt's kits."

About a moon ago, Ivypelt had given birth to two kits. She had a young tom named Leopardkit, and a she-kit named Mosskit. Now that she was in the Nursery, there were three queens. The other two were Dovesong, Leafkit's mother, and Runningflame, Silverkit's mother.

As Leafkit darted towards the Elders' Den, she forgot her surroundings and crashed into Emberfoot. She fell to the ground, rubbing her head as she rose to her paws.

"Sorry about that!" she mewed to her Clanmate.

"Oh, I don't mind," Emberfoot mewed. "I wasn't the one who got hurt. You almost look like you were in a battle instead of just falling over!" He sat down and began to help Leafkit with her silver fur. It didn't take long to groom it all back into place.

"Speaking of battles," Emberfoot whispered with gleaming eyes, "there's one coming in a few sunrises. WindClan is going to confront RiverClan over the stolen prey."

"Really?" gasped Leafkit. Excitement pounded at her heart. Finally, the prey-stealing Clan to the west would be punished. "Could I help out?"

Emberfoot shook his head. "No matter how much training you put in, you won't be an apprentice for another moon," he mewed. "But if you like, I can tell you all about the battle. With the wind on our side, there's no way that we can lose."

She nodded eagerly. "Make sure to tell me everything!" she pleaded.

Emberfoot nodded. Then, his eyes gleamed with an idea. "You know," he hissed, "I'm pretty sure that Ravenstar asked Woodfur to look for mentors for you and your siblings. Don't tell anyone I told you this, but if you wanted, you could probably ask Woodfur for a mentor of your choosing."

"Wow, thanks!" Leafkit mewed. "That helps a lot!" _I didn't even mention Brambletail to him, and already he wants to aid me._

Emberfoot nodded. "I'm sure it does," he replied. "I'll see you around, then." He turned and vanished into the Warriors' den.

She continued on, heading to the Elders' den. Flamefur was waiting outside, conversing with Hawkkit and Gustkit.

Leafkit rushed in to the group, sitting down with her siblings to listen to Flamefur's story. However, Flamefur evidently wasn't telling a story yet, and her two littermates glanced at her.

"Have you been training to fight rogues, Leafkit?" Hawkkit mewed. "Or maybe it was so that you could fight Darkclaw and then ask him to leave some for you next time?"

"I'm not strong enough to defeat any rogues," Leafkit sighed. "I learned that about a moon ago, when I tried to fight Slash and Whitefeather. But if I can train hard enough, honing my fighting skills, then one day I could be the greatest warrior ever! Oh, and Emberfoot gave me some help with that. He said that if I talked to with Woodfur, I might be able to pick my own mentor."

She was surprised to see Flamefur give a huff of disapproval. "That Emberfoot is an ambitious one," he growled. "It's no secret that he lusts after the leadership of WindClan. But he would drag the Clans into even more pointless fights, just as he tries to fight with the current mentors, Galeflight, Fieldstone, Graynose, and Heatherpelt. I've put up with it until now. But to approach you in an attempt to manipulate you into taking him as your mentor? I'll have to knock some sense into my son the next time I see him."

Leafkit shrugged. "Doesn't every battle have a purpose?" she asked.

As Flamefur started to reply, Gustkit interrupted in protest. "Do you think I could listen to a story instead of a debate?" he asked.

Flamefur gave an embarrassed nod to him. "I mustn't forget the reasons that kits visit me," he rasped.

"Can you tell us the story of the Sky Avengers?" asked Hawkkit. "It's not that old of a tale, but I'd still like to here it."

"I can tell you about the Sky Avengers," Flamefur purred, although Leafkit could feel his unease. "I was one of the cats who fought against them. The memories of their ferocity are still with me, haunting me like a shadow.

"It was about three Newleafs ago, a moon or two after the sixteenth rule of the warrior code was made. Back then, WindClan was led by Brownstar, and Ravenstar was a warrior named Ravenfeather, mentor to your father. In fact, all of the leaders were still warriors, and of the medicine cats, only Nightheart had his full position. Foxwhisker was still an apprentice, Sunstorm had only been with ThunderClan for a few moons, and Snowcloud wasn't even born yet. The positions of power have shifted greatly in recent times.

"Back then, the Clans were locked in combat. But that Clan war dissolved when the Sky Avengers appeared. They arrived from the mountains one day, possessing a vast army of cats, surprising knowledge of the Clans, and a deep desire to destroy all that stood in their way of taking the bountiful lake territories as their new home. They worshipped not their ancestors, but six powerful and unseen beings known as the Vestrians.

"The Sky Avengers, with their immense power, swept through the Clans like a storm, destroying nearly half of RiverClan and conquering vast amounts of Clan territory in a single night. The Clans trembled at the might of the Sky Avengers, and hope seemed to drain from them."

Flamefur's story continued, telling of the many sacrifices the Clans made and the hardship they endured as they fought their way to the eventual victory over the Sky Avengers.

He told them how WindClan and ThunderClan had united to drive the Sky Avengers off their shared border. He told them how Flint, leader of the Sky Avengers, had conquered the Gathering Island and taken it as his camp. He told them how the RiverClan medicine apprentice Amberpaw had taken up the path of a warrior out of a desire to avenge his fallen Clanmates. He told them how WindClan's medicine apprentice Cloudwing had lost her life trying to defend Sunstorm and a litter of WindClan kits from the Sky Avengers. He told them how RiverClan's deputy, a tortoiseshell tom named Risingwave, had betrayed the Clans, only to be struck down by the ShadowClan warrior Blackfur. He told them about a ShadowClan warrior named Nightclaw who had fought alongside a RiverClan warrior named Ottertail. Ottertail had given his life for Nightclaw, and this act had led Nightclaw to join RiverClan and change her name to Otterfur. He told them how a young RiverClan tom named Finflutter had managed to unify the Clans and come up with a strategy that led to the defeat of the Sky Avengers.

"And in the end, the Clans triumphed through their unity," Flamefur finished. "In times of peace, they fight each other to grow stronger, but in times of war they fight together to defend their way of life. Always remember that you kits were born into an era of peace that we sacrificed so much for."

Leafkit gave him a small bow of gratitude. "Thanks for the story, Flamefur!" she mewed.

Flamefur beamed at three of them. "As long as there are kits to listen, I will have stories to tell," he purred.

"See you soon!" Gustkit called as the three littermates bounded away into the centre of the camp.

Leafkit sat down with her littermates, enjoying the feeling of the omnipresent breeze in her silver fur. Few clouds remained in the sky, and the warm Newleaf sun shone down on the camp. Leafkit relaxed in it for a few moments. Then, she squared up against Hawkkit and unsheathed her claws.

"How about some training?" she challenged.

Hawkkit smirked. "It's always training with you, Leafkit," she teased. "So what are you training for this time? Are you trying to be more impulsive? I really don't think that's possible."

"Training isn't everything," Leafkit replied. "Sometimes I eat and sleep. Mind you, I have to train myself in those as well. Are you scared yet?"

"Me scared?" asked Hawkkit. She stood up and stretched. "Leafkit, I do believe that was a taunt phrased as a challenge. If you want to, we can fight right now. Just don't be surprised when I defeat you!"

Hawkkit immediately leapt for her, but Leafkit had been preparing for that. She rolled to the side, noting some weakness in Hawkkit's left hind leg. _Okay, Hawkkit. Let's see who wins this one!_

…

The sun was setting, and Leafkit listened to the gossip of her Clanmates as she lay on the camp floor. Nearby, she noticed Badgerclaw in an argument with Ashfall, WindClan's oldest warrior.

"Ashfall, are you sure that you should remain a warrior?" Badgerclaw questioned the old she-cat.

"You young cats think that you know everything," Ashfall snapped. "Who would remember the old ways if I wasn't among your ranks?"

"Ashfall, I'm a senior warrior," Badgerclaw calmly protested. "And besides, that sounds exactly like something an elder would say."

Ashfall cackled with laughter and tapped the younger tom with her tail. "I'm just messing with you," she rasped. "It gives my old bones some pleasure. But you still need me to whip all of you into shape."

Frustrated, Badgerclaw turned away. "Why do I even bother?" he muttered.

As Leafkit was considering heading back to the Nursery, Brambletail moved up to her and sat down beside her.

"Hello again, Leafkit," she greeted. "How goes the training?"

Leafkit gave her a friendly purr. "I'm doing fine," she replied. "I need to be as strong as I can to protect my Clan." Nearly as an afterthought, she added, "You seem awfully interested in me."

Brambletail gently tapped Leafkit's flank. "I'm interested in all of the kits of WindClan," she mewed. "One day, you and your denmates will be our future."

Leafkit blushed. _Me? The future of WindClan? I like the sound of that!_

"Well, I should get going," Brambletail continued. "I'm on the Dusk Patrol with Fieldstone, Boulderpaw, and Thistlepelt." She seemed nervous as she mentioned Thistlepelt's name. With that, Brambletail padded off, waving her tail in farewell.

Leafkit yawned. Maybe it was time to head back to the Nursery.

She leapt up and raced back to the Nursery. If she didn't burn off her extra energy, there was no way she was getting to sleep. Dovesong was standing outside the Nursery, a look of distress in her eyes. Leafkit noticed Galeflight padding over to her, a slouch in his step.

Dovesong ran over to her mate and rubbed against him. "Are you quite alright?" she purred worriedly. "I think you're overexerting yourself, Galeflight. You're trying so hard to make yourself the hero of the Clans, and your body is paying the price."

Galeflight glanced at her with tired eyes. "Are you suggesting that I stop keeping my promises?" he asked. "I can't just do that. It goes against I believe in."

Dovesong shook her head vigorously. "I would never ask you to do that," she purred. "I know how much keeping your promises means to you. I'm just asking you to remember that you have a family, one that you can rely on. None of your burdens have to be shouldered alone."

Galeflight's eyes regained a bit of their gleam. The red tom leaned against his mate. "Thank you, Dovesong," he mewed. "You always know what's best for me."

"I'll always be there for you," Dovesong replied, draping her tail around her mate. "Now, what's troubling you? I can pretty much tell, but it would be good for you to talk about it."

The red tom sighed. "I was an apprentice when the Sky Avengers invaded," he explained. "I was training to protect my Clan, but when the Sky Avengers overran us, I was powerless. I had to watch my Clanmates die, with the knowledge that there was nothing I could do to save them. But as the war neared its end, Cloverstem's apprentice Cloudwing gave her life to try and protect Sunstorm and a group of kits. Dovesong, you remember that you were the only surviving one of those kits, don't you? Well, my first ever promise was to Sunstorm. I told him that I would protect you, because Cloudwing had given her life for you. And from that point forward, I knew that what I sought was to never again be powerless to help my Clanmates. I never wanted _anyone_ to be that powerless. So I devoted myself to protecting everyone around the lake."

Leafkit listened, intrigued. She'd had a vague idea of how her mother and father had gotten together, but she'd never heard this story before.

"But now, Ravenstar wants to attack RiverClan when they need help more than anything else," Galeflight continued. "In three sunrises, our two Clans will meet in a pointless battle. I want to stop this. I _have_ to stop this! I just don't see how I can."

"Then if you can't do it alone, let's talk to Ravenstar together," Dovesong suggested. "Maybe the two of us can convince him to halt this fight?"

Galeflight nodded. "Thank you, Dovesong," he mewed. "I love you more than my words could ever describe."

As her parents padded off towards Ravenstar's den, an idea began to form in Leafkit's mind. _Why didn't I think of that before?_

She glanced around, and saw Runningflame approaching the Nursery. _Perfect._

"Hey Runningflame!" she called to the tabby she-cat. "Have you seen Eaglekit around?"

Runningflame shrugged. "I think that he was heading into the medicine den to bug Snowcloud," she offered, "but I've got no clue if he's still there or not."

"Thanks!" Leafkit squealed. "You've been a big help."

The silver she-cat bowed to Runningflame with respect before rushing off to the medicine den. Her speed wasn't as impressive as that of the other WindClan cats, but it got her where she needed to go.

Leafkit padded into Snowcloud's den, where the white medicine cat was tending to Heatherpelt's wounds. She had the sweet scent of herbs on her fur.

"Come on, Snowcloud!" Eaglekit begged as he bounced back and forth. "Can you tell me the story of how a ThunderClan patrol saved you from a dog?"

Snowcloud blushed as he mentioned it. "Maybe later," she snapped. "I'm sorry, but I'm kind of busy at the moment."

Eaglekit nodded and sat still for a moment. Then, a few seconds later, he piped up, "Are you less busy yet?"

Snowcloud gave a frustrated sigh as she put cobwebs over one of Heatherpelt's scratches.

"Hey Eaglekit, do you think you could spare a moment?" Leafkit asked. "There's something important I wanted to talk about."

Eaglekit jumped around to face her, eyes wide. "Anything for you, Leafkit!" he declared, puffing out his chest. Leafkit suppressed a _mrrow_ of amusement.

"Thanks for getting him out of my fur," Snowcloud mewed to Leafkit as she left with Eaglekit.

"Always happy to accidentally help!" the silver tabby called back to the slender medicine cat.

"So, what's your problem?" Eaglekit asked as they stepped outside the den. The sky was dark by now. "Did you get attacked by rogues again? Or maybe Harepaw did something to hurt you?"

Leafkit shook her head, and this time she did purr with amusement. "Eaglekit, look at me," she mewed as she draped her tail around him like Dovesong had done with Galeflight. "I'm completely fine. I just wanted to know if you knew about the battle. WindClan is going to fight RiverClan in three sunrises."

Eaglekit nodded, and with her close proximity to him Leafkit could see his eyes sparkling. "WindClan and RiverClan are at a pretty low point with each other, and this battle can only make things worse," he explained.

Leafkit felt mischievous as she mewed her next words. "So," she continued, "have you ever wanted to see how the older warriors fight?"

…

Leafkit and Eaglekit waited until the warriors had left for the battle before they snuck out through the dirtplace. This was one battle that Leafkit had no desire to miss.

"Why doesn't Ravenstar do something about the dirtplace if he knows that kits are going to use it to sneak out of the camp?" Leafkit wondered as they stepped out onto the moor. All around them, green grass grew. The sun was shining, and the wind was blowing towards RiverClan. It was the perfect day for a battle.

"If Ravenstar did that, how would he sneak out of camp?" Eaglekit pointed out.

Leafkit nodded in defeat. It was a good point.

Eaglekit picked up the scent trail left by the warriors and the two kits began following it. They made sure to keep their distance from the WindClan warriors, because they knew that if they got too close, the wind would carry their scent to them.

As the two kits drew closer to the border, Leafkit noticed a bush growing near the WindClan warriors. "We can hide under that bush!" Leafkit exclaimed. "Isn't that convenient?"

Leafkit and Eaglekit crawled under the bush, watching intently as Ravenstar stood with his warriors at the border.

"WindClan is ready for anything," Leafkit mewed. "They'll win this for sure."

A short while later, a white she-cat appeared, leading a group of weary-looking warriors.

"Why are they so skinny?" Leafkit hissed to Eaglekit. "Did they forget to eat?"

"RiverClan is starving, remember?" the young tom snapped back. "They wouldn't be taking food from our territory if they weren't."

Leafkit nodded, and despite herself she felt a pang of sympathy for the Clan opposing her own. She had always had a full stomach, so she hadn't understood the severity of what RiverClan was going through.

"Night- I mean, Otterstar," Ravenstar greeted. The white she-cat flinched as he stumbled over her name. "We've come because we will no longer tolerate RiverClan's thieving ways. As you can see, my warriors are stronger than yours. Surrender now, and we won't have to do this."

Otterstar stared back at him defiantly. "RiverClan needs this prey if it is to survive!" she declared. "We may not be as strong as you, but we are fighting for our very survival! We won't lose."

Ravenstar nodded. "So be it," he mewed. "WindClan, attack!"

At once, the WindClan warriors sprang forward with teeth barred and claws unsheathed. The RiverClan warriors charged to meet them, but they were weary and seemed obviously outmatched. Nevertheless, they also seemed to be giving it their all.

Leafkit surveyed the RiverClan warriors, trying to pick out the strongest warriors. A tom with a long silver stripe was fighting alongside a she-cat with rose-shaped spots of fur. Both seemed to be quite strong, and they were battling with Oakfur and Rabbitfoot. Meanwhile, a large, dark tabby tom with amber eyes was fighting Fieldstone. Despite Fieldstone's strength, he seemed to be overcoming her.

She also saw a young reddish-brown tom and a blue-gray she-cat with a large, fresh-looking scar on her head. The two were fighting Wolfpaw and Harepaw. Despite the she-cat's small stature, she was confident and her movements were strong.

Leafkit tried to imitate one of the she-cat's moves, swatting Eaglekit in the process.

"What was that for?" the tom complained. "I haven't said anything since the battle started!"

"Sorry Eaglekit," Leafkit mewed. "I wasn't paying attention."

"Well, be distracted in another direction next time, okay?" Eaglekit grunted.

Leafkit shifted her focus back to the battle. Most of her Clanmates were overcoming their RiverClan opponents. Then, she noticed a gray tabby she-cat at the rear of the RiverClan warriors. The she-cat didn't appear to be doing any fighting. Instead, she simply observed.

Leafkit poked Eaglekit with her tail. "Why is that she-cat just hanging around at the back?" she asked. "Shouldn't she be helping her Clanmates fight?"

The gold-and-white tom took a look at the she-cat, swinging his tail around as he thought. "Medicine cat, I would guess," he mewed after a long pause. "She's there to heal her Clanmates if they get hurt."

"Got it," Leafkit replied.

Then, Leafkit noticed that the medicine cat wasn't the only cat holding back. Galeflight's claws were sheathed, and he seemed to be desperately avoiding the fight. A gray tom yowled and leapt at him, but Galeflight simply used his speed to avoid the attack, bowing to his opponent as he did.

"What does he think he's doing?" Leafkit complained. "He's in the middle of a battle!"

"Galeflight hates senseless battles," Eaglekit pointed out. "Haven't you ever listened to his speeches?"

Leafkit cringed with the memory of Galeflight's long-winded rants.

She turned and looked at the other battling cats, trying to find an interesting fight. However, most of her Clanmates seemed to have won their battles. Even Otterstar, whose technique combined the skills of ShadowClan and RiverClan, had failed against Ravenstar in her weakened state. _Wow. I knew WindClan was awesome, but RiverClan was a serious disappointment._

Then, Leafkit glanced over and noticed that Fieldstone was tiring as she faced her opponent. Slowly but surely, he was defeating her. Fieldstone tried to dart in and strike her opponent, but he knocked her to the ground. As he loomed over her, Fieldstone barred her teeth, but couldn't get back to her paws.

Leafkit looked around frantically. Her Clanmates were too busy congratulating themselves over their victories to notice Fieldstone's peril. The brown tabby was about to get seriously injured, and she was too far away to do anything about it.

Then, Leafkit saw Galeflight glance over at Fieldstone. His eyes clouded with horror as he saw the dark tabby tom preparing to strike his rival as she lay helpless.

Frantically dodging around the gray tom, Galeflight rushed towards Fieldstone. _He's going to fight! He's going to protect his Clanmate!_

With his lightning speed, Galeflight sped forward. He leapt into Fieldstone, pushing her away from the tabby's claws and into safety. As he did, he fell directly into the path of the dark tom's attack.

There was a splash of blood from his throat.

Galeflight stood for a few moments, eyes locked with the dark tabby tom. Then, he staggered back and collapsed.

At that moment, Leafkit's entire world seemed to shatter. She shook her head, trying to clear it like she would a bad dream, but when she looked back everything was still the same.

Horrified, she slowly stepped out of the bush she was hiding in. Then, seeing Galeflight's blood spill out onto the ground, she sprinted towards him as fast as her legs could carry her.

"Why?" Fieldstone yelled at him as she picked herself up. "Why did you save me? I hated you! I still hate you!" Her voice trembled as she shouted.

Galeflight twitched and let out a small croak before spitting out a mouthful of blood. "It was…about a moon ago," he choked out weakly. "I…I made a promise to protect you. Don't you remember, Fieldstone? I…never break my promises."

Fieldstone stared at him, eyes a mix of realization and anger. "Why are you so perfectly unbearable?" she snarled at him. "You're always making these promises! Has it ever occurred to you that you might not be able to keep them all? Didn't you ever think that you should care about yourself a little more?"

Galeflight gave a small chuckle as more of his lifeblood spilled out onto the earth. "Too late for that now," he mewed.

"Father!" Leafkit screamed, finally close enough to Galeflight to talk to him. She stood over the ginger tabby, and his eyes filled with shock as he saw her.

"Leafkit?" he rasped. "What are you doing here?" He ducked his head guiltily. "I'm…I'm so sorry you had to…see me like this. This is the end for me."

As she had ran to her father's side, Leafkit had desperately clung onto the hope that this was some sort of nightmare from which she awaken into the comforting embrace of Dovesong. But as she stood over her father, she faced the glaring reality of everything around her.

She was useless.

None of the other apprentices could match her when it came to a fight. She'd thought that she could protect her Clanmates if she became the greatest warrior ever. But here, watching her father die, she knew that none of the fighting techniques in the world could save him.

And still, she frantically swung her head around, looking in vain for something that would save him. She knew that there was no hope for Galeflight, but at the deepest level of her being, she refused to accept it.

"No!" she screamed. "Father, you can't die. You've made too many promises! You said…you said you would take me to my first Gathering. And…and you promised to become leader and change WindClan! How can you do any of that if you're dead? You broke your promises! You liar!"

She let everything out as she yelled, breaking down into a sob. She did blame him. She blamed him for something he could not change.

"Leafkit, calm down," Galeflight rasped, his words becoming quieter. "I'm sorry to do this to you, but I must entrust my burdens and my legacy to you. You have to…become the change…that leads to peace. I'll still…watch over…all of you…from StarClan. Always remember…Leafkit…no matter who you are…or where you come from…you're my beloved daughter."

"I'll make you proud, father," Leafkit whispered.

With that, Galeflight's eyes fell closed and he lay still.

Leafkit fell to the ground, a sob racking her. Nothing would ever be the same again.

"So he stayed true to his ideals after all." Leafkit glanced up. The dark tabby tom had spoken, breaking the silence. "His life was those ideals, and he died for them. Young she-cat, you are his daughter? Well, it appears that I have taken him from you. My name is Amberfang. If the thirst for vengeance ever fills you, remember that name and seek me out. I'll be waiting."

Leafkit shook her head, and her words came to her without time for her to remember her own ideals. "I don't want vengeance," she mewed, frustration filling her. "I don't want another cat to die for pointless reasons. You were defending your Clanmates, and my father was defending his. He lost his life because of the conflict between the Clans! I idolized that conflict, but now I want no part in it!" She tried to let all her pain and hate and rage spill out, until there was nothing left in her to hurt.

Amberfang bowed to her, then wordlessly turned away and padded back to rejoin his Clanmates.

"It hurts, doesn't it? Like you're trying to move a mountain so that you can use it to fill the hole in your heart. I've felt what you're feeling right now before."

Leafkit glanced to her side. The gray tabby medicine cat had joined her without her knowledge.

"You understand me?" she asked.

The medicine cat nodded slowly, and Leafkit could tell that she was a friend. "I lost my brother Scratch when I was very young," she explained. "That's what led to me joining RiverClan. My name's Rainpaw, by the way. You father wasn't one of my Clanmates, but he truly wanted all the warriors around the lake to be happy. His heart was in the right place, always."

Leafkit nodded, leaning on Rainpaw for support as she stood up. Rainpaw didn't flinch back, instead giving the silver she-cat her aid. She touched Leafkit's flank sympathetically.

As she did, a pair of claws wrapped themselves around her neck.

"Rainpaw!" Leafkit gasped, recoiling with shock.

Boulderpaw held her a heartbeat away from death, sneering at her as he did. "I told you I would have my revenge," he hissed. "I'm going to enjoy this."

Leafkit stepped back from the two apprentices, feeling nauseous. She glanced into Boulderpaw's eyes, seeing only frenzied hatred reflected in them. _He really would do it. He means to kill Rainpaw._

"Boulderpaw, what in StarClan's name are you doing?" she asked. "You can't kill a medicine cat!"

"Oh really?" the rage-filled apprentice snarled. "Galeflight lies dead because of RiverClan. Isn't it only fair that we pay them back?"

Leafkit opened her mouth to protest, but stopped herself. _Boulderpaw was never my friend, so he doesn't have any reason to listen to me. There's nothing I could say that would calm him down._ She turned her head to Rainpaw, seeing the pleading expression in her eyes. Leafkit ducked her head in shame. Already, someone else was going to die a pointless death.

Suddenly, Ravenstar's voice rang out around the battlefield. "Good work, Boulderpaw!" he mewed. The WindClan leader sneered at Otterstar as she realized Rainpaw's situation.

"As you can see," the black tom continued, "your warriors have all been defeated, and one of mine has taken your medicine apprentice captive. I'm offering you this one chance. Surrender to me, or I'll have Boulderpaw kill her."

For a moment, Otterstar seemed too stunned to speak. Then, she bowed her head in defeat. "RiverClan, to me!" she called. "We have lost this battle."

The warriors of RiverClan reluctantly picked themselves up and padded back behind their leader.

"We won't hunt in your territory again, Ravenstar," the white she-cat promised. "Now return Rainpaw."

Ravenstar shook his head in response to the defeated she-cat's request. "Not so fast," he purred. "I think I'll keep her until RiverClan has learned to behave itself."

Otterstar gritted her teeth in anger. "That wasn't the deal!" she growled.

Ravenstar shrugged. "I don't remember any deal," he hissed. "Now, get your Clanmates out of here right now, or watch as Rainpaw joins StarClan."

Paws quivering with either anger or fear, Otterstar stepped away from Ravenstar. "Rainpaw, this isn't the end!" she called to the gray tabby. "I promise you, I'll find a way to save you!"

From Boulderpaw's grip, Rainpaw did her best to give a nod of acknowledgement.

Ravenstar waited, watching until the RiverClan cats were out of sight. "Now, we return victorious!" he declared to his Clanmates. "Pinefur, Heatherpelt, you two carry Galeflight's body back to the camp. And Boulderpaw, if Rainpaw makes any attempt to escape, end her."

Boulderpaw growled with pleasure as he pulled Rainpaw along with him towards the WindClan camp.

Leafkit trudged along reluctantly, cringing as Pinefur and Heatherpelt hoisted up her father's body to carry it back to the camp. She didn't feel like a member of a victorious Clan. Both WindClan and RiverClan had experienced loss in their battle. _So, where do I go from here? What happens now?_

As Leafkit followed the patrol, Harepaw, Eaglekit, and Wolfpaw appeared around her.

"Galeflight taught me everything I know about honour and courage," Harepaw mewed solemnly. "I'm sorry, Leafkit. If it could have been me instead-"

"Don't say that!" Leafkit snapped, cutting him off. "Don't talk about throwing your life away!"

Harepaw shrank back. "If that's what you want, Leafkit," he replied. "Remember, I'm always there if you want to talk to me."

"Leafkit, I can't imagine what you must be going through," Eaglekit started, "but remember that we're your friends. We don't want to see you in pain. You can rely on us."

"Whatever pain you may feel, know that you don't have to bear it alone," Wolfpaw added. "We'll carry your burdens with you as long as you have them. We'll always be with you." She gave Leafkit a reassuring nod, her blue eyes shining with empathy.

Leafkit said nothing, wordlessly taking in the reassurances of her friends as she headed back to the camp.

…

Finally, the group of WindClan cats reached the camp. Ravenstar padded into the camp first, followed by Woodfur, and then Pinefur and Heatherpelt, who still carried Galeflight's body.

Leafkit rushed in behind them, desiring to be back within the safe confines of the camp. As she did, she heard a wail from her mother, Dovesong.

"Galeflight!" screamed the white queen as she dashed over to the lifeless body of her mate. She buried her nose in his fur, a sob racking her. "No, you can't be dead," she whispered to her mate. "You were going to change WindClan. You can't do that from StarClan."

Gustkit and Hawkkit warily approached their father's body behind Dovesong. There was a look of horror in their eyes.

Leafkit felt a new wave of sadness as she ran to her mother's side. "Dovesong, I'm sorry," she mewed. "I ran away to see the battle. I must have made you sick with worry."

She had expected a scolding, but instead Dovesong pulled all three of her kits together into an embrace. "Leafkit, Hawkkit, Gustkit, I'm sorry for all of your sakes," she mewed to them. "No kit should have to see their father like this."

For a moment, Leafkit stood with her mother and littermates, rubbing against her white fur as they said their goodbyes to her father. Then, she broke away.

"You don't need to worry anymore," she insisted. "The ideals that Galeflight died for aren't gone. He's watching from StarClan, waiting for me to fulfill my own promise. I swore that I would continue from where he left off, and find a way to bring peace to the Clans." As the silver she-cat made her vow, her mind whirled around. Suddenly, thinking of Galeflight's sacrifice, her path appeared to her in full clarity.

She nodded in understanding. _So this is what I've been looking for, all along. Thank you for showing it to me, warriors of StarClan._

Then, Ravenstar began to speak to the Clan. "I mourn Galeflight as much as any of you, but we have won a great victory today!" he announced, gesturing to the medicine apprentice in Boulderpaw's claws. "RiverClan will behave itself for as long as we need it to. Boulderpaw, put the prisoner in the overflow den. It finally has a purpose. Tigertail and Rabbitfoot, you two guard the den, and make sure she doesn't escape. After that, we have some business to attend to."

Boulderpaw dragged Rainpaw across the camp, throwing her into the extra den without a touch of gentleness. Leafkit cringed as the gray tabby hit the ground, reminded how Brambletail had explained the den's original purpose to her. _It's become a prison now._

After the two warriors had taken their places in front of the den, Boulderpaw strolled back to the centre of the camp. As he did, Ravenstar moved to the front of the Clan. "Let all cats old enough to run freely with the wind join before me for a Clan meeting!" he called.

If any of Leafkit's Clanmates hadn't been present for the results of the battle, they were now. Leafkit waited for Ravenstar's announcement.

"Boulderpaw, step forward," Ravenstar mewed.

The young tom excitedly darted over to stand next to his leader.

"I, Ravenstar, leader of WindClan, call upon my warrior ancestors to look down on this apprentice," the black tom declared. "He has trained hard to understand the ways of your noble code, and I commend him to you as a warrior in his turn."

As Ravenstar spoke the words of the ancient ceremony, Boulderpaw looked up at him hungrily.

"Boulderpaw," Ravenstar asked, "do you promise to uphold the warrior code and to protect and defend your Clan, even at the cost of your life?"

Boulderpaw nodded. "I do," he hissed.

"Then by the powers of StarClan, I give you your warrior name," Ravenstar declared. "Boulderpaw, from this moment you will be known as Boulderfang. StarClan honours your strength and your ferocity, and we welcome you as a full warrior of WindClan."

Leafkit turned away as Ravenstar rested his muzzle on Boulderfang's head. Although the rest of the Clan called out his name with varying degrees of sincerity, Leafkit remembered the look in his eyes as he had grabbed hold of Rainpaw. The bloodlust she had seen would haunt her for many moons.

After a few moments, Leafkit caught sight of Snowcloud. Before the white she-cat could reach her destination, Leafkit intercepted her. Snowcloud glanced down, sympathetically regarding the silver she-cat before her.

"Snowcloud, there's something I need," Leafkit started.

Before she could get any further, the medicine cat cut her off. "I'm sorry Leafkit, but there is no herb that can cure death," Snowcloud mewed. "It has always been the irreversible failing of us medicine cats. Your father hunts with StarClan now."

"You don't understand," Leafkit mewed. "I'm not looking for some magical herb to answer all life's problems."

"Oh?" Snowcloud asked, intrigued. "Then Leafkit, tell me what you do want."

Leafkit gazed into Snowcloud's curious green eyes. Gathering her courage, she let the words flow from her. "I used to think that the world was all black and white, heroes and villains," she started. "But now I see that the spectrum is more diverse than I could ever imagine, no matter how many lifetimes I live. I thought RiverClan were just greedy prey-stealers, but they're trying to protect their Clanmates. And that ThunderClan tom Sunstorm doesn't let borders stop him when it comes to helping others. Cats from other Clans can feel anguish and hope just as acutely as any WindClan cat. And even though my beliefs are telling me to take revenge, I don't want to. I want to heal these broken bonds between the Clans. I-I don't think I would be able to fight against the other Clans after what I saw today." She shuttered, feeling the ache of the still-fresh wounds on her soul.

Leafkit drew in her breath before making her request. "I want to protect everyone," she declared. "So please, take me on as your apprentice!"

Snowcloud's eyes widened with surprise. "Are you sure that the life of a medicine cat is the path you want to take?" she asked, tail twitching. "It's easy to say that you will, but medicine cats must walk a road of solitude, keeping secrets from their Clanmates and never knowing love." As she said this, there seemed to be genuine sorrow in her expression.

Leafkit considered this momentarily, then nodded her head. "If that's the price I have to pay for healing, not hurting, then I'll gladly pay it," she mewed. "As long as I have Clanmates to protect, then I'll never be alone."

Snowcloud beamed at her proudly, her expression not unlike a mother after the leader named her kit deputy. "Then I accept your request," she replied. "In one moon's time, I will be your mentor. I look forward to that day."

"Me too," Leafkit squealed. "Now, I really should go."

Snowcloud nodded and continued on to her den.

Confident that no cat noticed her, Leafkit padded through the dirtplace and back out of the camp. _Two escapes in one day. WindClan is really bad with this._

As Leafkit instinctually remembered the path to where she had met Slash and Whitefeather, she felt bad about not mentioning her intent to Brambletail yet. The friendly black she-cat had seemed excited to mentor her.

With her longer stride, Leafkit reached the shore faster than she had on Galeflight's excursion one moon earlier. She winced, remembering how carefree her father had been on that day.

Slash's words echoed in her mind as she stood on the shore. _"I just came here because it's the best place in WindClan for fishing, and I've already found an annoying WindClan kit!"_ Leafkit smirked. The rogue tom had unintentionally given her a great piece of advice. Briefly, she wondered where Slash and Whitefeather were now, but then she shrugged the thought off. They would most likely never cross paths again now that Bonetail was gone.

Leafkit spotted a fish and leapt into the water after it. Unfortunately the fish was too quick, and all she accomplished was soaking herself through her silver fur. She crawled back out and stared at her reflection for a moment. After habitually shaking herself dry, she narrowed her green eyes and leapt back in after another fish.

Her second attempt at hunting fish failed as miserably as the first one had. She pulled herself out of the water, shaking herself dry again. "All I want is to catch that RiverClan she-cat one measly fish!" she pouted at the lake. "Just give me one so that I can go home!"

As she readied herself for a third try, she heard pawsteps behind her. She whipped around, snarling. "Who's there?"

It was a golden tom, from the look of him a few moons younger than Leafkit herself. "Having trouble with the fish?" he teased.

"None of your business!" she snapped. "What Clan are you from?"

"I'm not from any Clan," the tom mewed. "I'm just a passerby. My name's Jester. Yours?"

"Leafkit," she meowed back. "And yes, the fish are giving me trouble, but I don't see how that affects you."

Jester gave a playful purr and walked down to the shore. "I may not be a Clan cat like you, but I've seen how some RiverClan cats hunt," he explained. "Seriously, this will be trivial for me."

He settled down by the water, and Leafkit had to suppress a mrrow of amusement at the determined expression on his face.

After a few seconds, the golden tom thrust his paw into the water and scooped out a fish. Leafkit felt a twinge of envy at how he was younger than her, but already had such great hunting skills.

"One fish for the lovely lady," Jester declared, setting the prey before Leafkit.

"Wow, thanks Jester!" Leafkit exclaimed, poking at the fish a little as she did. "What do I owe you?"

"Not a whisker," Jester mewed as he began padding away. "We're friends now, right?"

"I'll see you around, then," Leafkit called to him as he departed.

Suddenly, the tom stopped on the spot. "Have you ever been betrayed?" he asked, his tone suddenly dark.

Leafkit shook her head. "My friends are pretty loyal," she mewed. "Why? Did someone hurt you?"

Jester glanced at his paws. "I'm just filled with so much anger," he confessed, not answering any of her questions. "I don't know what to do."

The golden tom turned away from her again, padding off towards ThunderClan territory. As he did, he muttered, "Those who break their oaths, they are the worst kind of cat."

Leafkit shrugged, picking up her fish. She would think about Jester's mysterious plight after more pressing business was taken care of.

The silver she-cat walked back to the camp, carrying the fish in her jaws. It tasted terrible, but she could deal with it for the time being.

As she entered the camp, Brambletail noticed her and wandered over to her. "Leafkit, I have an apology to make," she admitted.

Leafkit dropped the fish and glanced up at the black she-cat. "What's wrong?" she asked.

"I know you wanted me for a mentor, but that can't happen now," Brambletail explained. "Ravenstar appointed me mentor for Harepaw in light of your father's death. So, I'm sorry about not being able to teach you. And, I'm sorry about your father's death. I wish I had been there. If only there was some way that this could have been stopped…."

"Thanks," Leafkit mewed, grateful to have the warrior's sympathy. "It helps. But, don't worry about not being able to mentor me. I'm going to become Snowcloud's apprentice, and seek peace through healing."

"Really?" gasped Brambletail, eyes shining with pride. "That's pretty incredible then. I have to go train with Harepaw, but I'll see you around, Leafkit. Remember, you can always come to me for support if you're feeling down."

Leafkit bowed her head as Brambletail departed. Then, she picked up her fish and headed to the overflow den where Rainpaw was being kept prisoner.

As Leafkit approached the den with her fish, she saw that Tigertail and Rabbitfoot were still standing guard.

"Oh, have you come to tell Rainpaw about the toms in WindClan?" Rabbitfoot squealed as she drew near. "How cute! But since Boulderfang is a warrior now, Rainpaw would have to settle with Harepaw, and I heard that you wanted him."

Leafkit grumbled under her breath as she set the fish down again. Her mother's sister was infamous in WindClan for only ever talking about toms.

"Seriously?" she asked. "Look, I brought Rainpaw some food. I thought that she might be hungry after being forcibly dragged away from her Clanmates and taken prisoner by a leader who made repeated threats to her life."

Rabbitfoot sighed. "So you're one of those peaceful visionary types now?" she asked. "I don't think Harepaw likes that type. So, do you have any other business here? Aside from being a delivery cat, I mean."

"I thought I might ask Rainpaw a few questions," Leafkit mewed. "You know, about StarClan and herbs and the like. I'm going to be Snowcloud's apprentice, you see."

Rabbitfoot shook her head urgently. "Nope, can't let you through," she mewed. "Not if you're just going to gossip the day away."

Leafkit glowered before the fluff-brained she-cat.

"You call that gossiping?" Tigertail asked. "Come on Rabbitfoot, just let her in. Or do I have to call upon my sister and my father for this one?"

"The Clan deputy and the medicine cat?" Rabbitfoot asked, looking horrified. "You know what, Lifekit, just go in."

Leafkit walked by the warriors and into the den, not bothering to mention that Rabbitfoot had gotten her name wrong.

"When was the last time you had any fun?" Rabbitfoot asked behind Leafkit.

"Yesterday, when I pushed Oakfur into the lake," Tigertail cheerfully replied.

Leafkit found Rainpaw with her back to the entrance and a posture that suggested misery.

"What do you want?" spat the medicine apprentice.

"It's just me, Leafkit," the silvery she-cat replied, dropping the fresh-kill in front of the gray tabby. "I brought you this fish. I thought it might make you feel more at home. You know, besides the whole kidnapping thing."

Rainpaw turned around and sceptically glanced at Leafkit's offering. "Really?" she asked. "For me?"

Leafkit nodded. "From one medicine apprentice to another," she explained. "And besides, I like you. You tried to comfort me, even though we're from different Clans."

"You?" Rainpaw asked, surprised. "But you're just a kit."

"Well, I may not be a medicine cat yet, but in just under a moon, Snowcloud will be taking me as her apprentice," Leafkit explained.

Rainpaw shrugged. "Well, I guess one fish really can't make things much worse," she decided.

The slender medicine apprentice greedily tore into the fish, devouring it before Leafkit. She ate every last scrap, then licked her paws clean. With her fish gone she looked around guiltily, as if feeling badly about gulping down the entire meal.

"So, what do you think?" Leafkit asked, trying to make small talk. She hoped that the fish had been good enough for the medicine apprentice.

Rainpaw paused for a moment, thinking of an answer. Then, her expression brightened.

"I think," she answered, "that I'm going to like you too."

**To be continued…**

**And with that, Leafkit's character development has begun. Now that she's chosen the path of a medicine cat, she'll be leaving kithood in her next chapter. I feel kind of bad for naming her Leafkit given that we already have Leafpool and Leafstar, but I can't change that now.**

** Next up, we'll get to see Tidepaw again! I hope you're ready for some flashbacks though. But of course, the chapter will also deal with how Tidepaw reacts to the kidnapping of her best friend.**

**Oh, and by the way I now have a forum up if anyone wants to discuss their theories and opinions on this fic. Also, I'll be posting my progress on chapters there, and a few excerpts from coming chapters. If you want to check it out, the link is in my profile.**

**So, what did you think of the chapter? And what do you think of Leafkit after it? I certainly hope you enjoyed it! Also, you haven't heard the last of the story of the Sky Avengers…**

**Thanks for reading! Hopefully, I'll see you again soon.**


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